World Health Organization (WHO) reports

First Human Death from H5N2 Bird Flu on April 24 Reported in Mexico Amid H5N1 Outbreak in US Dairy Cattle

Jun 7, 2024, 12:17 AM

A man in Mexico has died after contracting the H5N2 strain of bird flu on April 24, marking the first known human infection with this strain. Mexican officials have denied that bird flu was the cause of death, attributing it instead to chronic health conditions. Despite this, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the death as a result of H5N2. Concurrently, the United States is dealing with an outbreak of H5N1 flu in dairy cattle, which has infected dairy workers and raised concerns about viral transmission through milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the bird flu virus strain found in Texas was lethal to ferrets in experiments. Efforts are underway to develop vaccines to curb the spread of the virus among both animals and humans. The CDC has also noted that bird flu has caused respiratory symptoms in infected dairy workers.