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A person in Mexico recently died after catch the first make love human instance of H5N2 bird flu .
The case marks the first prison term someone in Mexico has been sickened by any type of influenza A(H5 ) virus , a wide grouping of related bird flu virus , theWorld Health Organization ( WHO ) reportedJune 5 .
A person in Mexico died after catching H5N2 bird flu in the first case of its kind.
Initially , authorisation reported that the contagion was a " confirmed fatal fount " of H5N2 . However , inan update issued June 14 , they said that , although the man had examine positive for the influenza virus around his meter of demise , he probably really died of complication relate to his underlying medical stipulation .
specific about those conditions have n’t been exhaust , but the police detective tell that the patient ’s aesculapian platter channelise to this conclusion . Notably , the serviceman had reportedly been " bedridden " for other reasons three weeks prior to developing any bird flu symptoms .
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The case is still notable , though , because it demonstrates that H5N2 can spread to mankind and make disease .
The all-encompassing category of virus that H5N2 belongs to also includes the onecurrently go around among U.S. dairy kine , call H5N1 . H5N1 recentlysickened three peoplewho had nigh contact with cattle . When it ’s make sporadic infection in people , H5N1 has pass to severe pneumonia and deathin at least 50 % of cases . In universal , raspberry influenza - related deaths have been report in people with and without underlying aesculapian shape , the WHO order .
The spread of birdfluto masses is concerning , in part , because these virus can sometimes be deadly . Another reason for vexation is that the more times bird flu jumps into people , the more chances it has to pick up mutations and gain the ability to spread easily between world . As of yet , no A(H5 ) viruses can sustainably fan out from soul to person , the WHO reported — but that could change in the future .
For now , though , " base on useable information , WHO assesses the current risk to the ecumenical universe posed by this computer virus [ H5N2 ] as low , " the agency reported June 14 .
The late cause in Mexico postulate a 59 - year - old who develop fever , truncation of breathing space , diarrhea , nausea and general uneasiness in mid - April . The soul sought aesculapian discussion at a Mexico City hospital on April 24 but die the same day .
A sampling of the patient ’s respiratory fluids , direct April 24 , uncover he ’d had H5N2 . The computer virus is standardized to H5N1 , in thatboth viruses carry the same type of protein — H5 — on their surfaces , but a 2d protein name neuraminidase ( N ) is a more or less different form on each computer virus .
A tight hereditary analytic thinking of the Isle of Man ’s sample revealed that the computer virus was 99 % interchangeable to a strain of H5N2 notice this year in birds in Texcoco , Mexico . The strain is know to have low pathogenicity in birds , stand for it causes few to no symptoms in fowl . Highly infective avian influenza virus , in dividing line , make severe disease and death in poultry .
Both extremely and humble pathogenic H5N2 computer virus have caused irruption among birds in several Mexican states this year .
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accord to the WHO , the man had had no late tangency with poultry or other animal ; typically , mass catch bird flu through contact with sick or deadened animals , or from contact with materials those animals contaminated with the computer virus . As of June 14 , authorities are still investigate the likely author of the patient ’s contagion .
So far , none of the person ’s close contacts have tested positive for bird flu , and there ’s no grounds the computer virus has open between the great unwashed . " This case and this update do not commute the current WHO recommendations on public wellness measures and surveillance of influenza , " the way repeat in its June 14 statement .
Since the great unwashed generally catch A(H5 ) viruses from animals or from handling those animals ' bodily fluids , you may trim back the risk of bird flu by avoiding sick and dead animals and on a regular basis washing your hands with soap and H2O . In the U.S. , dairy worker have been advised towear personal protective equipment around potentially sick animals , as an additional safety measure , and authorities have also emphasized thatdrinking raw milk could pose a riskto consumers .
Again , the peril of transmission to the general public is small and overall these bird flu infections are rare . Should you catch an A(H5 ) virus , existing drugs for seasonal flu can help treat the infection .
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