World Health Organization (WHO) official reports

WHO Confirms First Human H5N2 Death in Mexico Amid H5N1 Outbreak in US Dairy Cattle

Jun 6, 2024, 04:41 AM

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the first human case of H5N2 avian influenza, resulting in the death of a 59-year-old man in Mexico. This marks the first laboratory-confirmed human infection with H5N2 globally. The patient had no known exposure to poultry or other animals, raising concerns about the virus's transmission methods. Concurrently, the United States is grappling with an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cattle, with detections of the virus in pasteurized retail milk and infected dairy herds in Iowa and Minnesota. Canada has implemented a national retail milk testing program to monitor for H5N1. The CDC has reported that the virus has caused respiratory symptoms in infected dairy workers. Additionally, H5N1 has been detected in house mice in New Mexico and in elephant seals, indicating the virus's spread to various mammals. Scientists emphasize the need for improved surveillance and response strategies to address these outbreaks. The WHO has warned of the potential high public health impact of the new H5N2 strain, although there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission.