First human death from Avian Flu in the world: What scenario is expected after WHO ratification?

bird flu There has been progress globally since it was discovered in Hong Kong in 1997. This viral infection, which mainly affects For poultry and wild birdsIt has spread to over 40 species of mammals across many countries.

Now World Health Organization (Confirmed by WHO First death from bird flu A(H5N2) in Mexico. “This is the first laboratory-confirmed human case of influenza A (H5N2) virus infection worldwide and the first case of infection with an H5 avian virus in a person in Mexico,” the health authority reported.

It is about one 59 years old man, a resident of the state of Mexico, Who died of infection with bird flu subtype A(H5N2). Death occurred last 24th April, After the patient develops symptoms such as fever, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise.

WHO explained in detail that the victim He had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals. Prior to the onset of acute symptoms, the man was bedridden due to multiple underlying medical conditions.

It is important to highlight that there are differences between these H5N2 and H5N1 avian flu. H5N2 is in high infectious potentialunlike the first. Also, although the symptoms are similar, those usually presented by the H5N2 variant be more intense Compared to other variants.

H5N1 Variant This is known as the most common form of bird flu and is fatal for birds, apart from this it also easily affects humans who come in contact with the carrier.

infectious disease doctor Roberto Debbagh (MN 60253) is vice president of the Latin American Society of Vaccinology, and has consulted on this matter infobae kept it up “This is death from AH5N2, which is an avian virus.”

And although he stressed that “the outbreak among birds was controlled and all the contacts of the deceased person tested negative for the disease, according to a study by Mexico’s Institute of Epidemiology,” he acknowledged that “it is possible that the disease was transmitted by humans.” This case has no epidemiological significance and is different because the victim had underlying conditions that caused him to become infected, But from now on, we have to be vigilant and keep a close eye on the issue.

In turn, the infectious disease doctor Ricardo Teijeiro (MN 58,065) assessed that, “Avian flu viruses vary; some are mild, with no major symptoms and there are others like AH5 and AH7 which are the most aggressive.”

“Since it has been circulating, about 400 deaths have already been detected, but what happens is that it has Slight ineffectiveness in humans And usually the infection occurs through direct contact with birds,” explained the expert, who elaborated: “In this case we have to see if it was through a contaminated bird or object.”

Regarding the possibility of cases increasing, Teijeiro acknowledged that “although for now The risk of contagion is very low Of person to personthis needs to be taken into account in any case.” World Health Organization was warning of this disease a few years ago,” he stressed.

Consulted by infobaehead of the epidemiology department at Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, Angela Gentile (MN 49908) explained “This is a case that responds to a small outbreak in the agricultural sectorMainly farmers, around Mexico City, where some severe cases of this H5N2 avian flu had already been found.

And after highlighting that “this is a case that led to the death of a 59-year-old man who had other underlying pathologies,” the expert added: “We all know that birds are infected in Mexico, in fact several cases have been detected, And given the apparent chain of transmission it is believed the vehicle could be unpasteurised milk from an infected cow.

For the expert, “It is essential to follow up this hypothesis through proper epidemiological surveillance.” To evaluate how this avian flu is spreading among birds and whether there are other outbreaks in humans, such as the one already detected in Mexico. Epidemiological and laboratory surveillance is important for monitoring this case and everything that will happen in the future.”

The expert said it is important to highlight that there is no vaccine against avian flu, “Since the flu vaccine doesn’t cover that strain”Held.

There is an approved vaccine to protect humans from the bird flu virus, but it targets the H5N1 variant. The vaccine against the avian influenza A (H5N2) virus is only administered to birds. To obtain this vaccine, it is necessary to request it from the health authorities, who insist that the target population are birds from poultry production units (UPAs), that is, those destined for meat or egg production.

The reason vaccination in humans is not common so far is the low risk of infection. In other countries, sporadic cases of human infection with A(H5N1) viruses that commonly circulate in birds have been reported since 2022, mainly after contact with infected poultry.

Infectious disease physician and member of the Vaccine Commission of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), Francisco Nacinovich (MN 75823) Added to this channel: “Avian flu is not a new pathogen, it’s a virus that’s been talked about for about 20 years and in fact vaccines have been developed precisely because it’s considered a pandemic virus. The problem is that although this virus has existed for a long time and was spread among poultry and wild birds, it has now spread to dairy cows and because of this it is also spread among humans and through the consumption of unpasteurised milk. That is why it is advisable not to drink unpasteurised milk.”

And another drawback that Nacinovich sees in this case is that “when the H5 virus reaches humans, it can combine with human flu viruses to form a new strain and give it the pandemic potential that H5 needs to spread more widely.” .

In this regard, the expert shed light on that “Some experts think the next pandemic will be a new coronavirus or flu virus.” So he recommended it “It is important that people who work with these animals follow safety measures, “Keep your flu vaccination up to date, as this prevents the human virus from combining with the avian virus, if someone becomes infected with the disease.”

In a statement, WHO elaborated: “This is the first laboratory-confirmed human case of influenza A (H5N2) virus infection.” reported to World level And the first A(H5) virus infection in a person is reported in Mexico. The case had multiple underlying conditions and investigations are ongoing by Mexican health authorities to determine the possible source of exposure to the virus. Recently, influenza A(H5N2) viruses have been detected in poultry in Mexico.

“Whenever avian influenza viruses circulate among poultry, there is a risk of infection Small groups of human cases Human cases due to contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments, hence sporadic They are not unexpected. Previously, human cases of infection with other H5 subtypes, including A(H5N1), A(H5N6) and A(H5N8) viruses, have been reported,” he said.

And he added: “Available epidemiological and virological evidence suggests that the A(H5) virus is from past events have not acquired the ability to sustain transmission between humans, Therefore, the current likelihood of sustained person-to-person spread is low. Based on information available to date, no other human cases of A(H5N2) infection linked to this case have been reported.”

On the other hand, WHO said: “There are no specific vaccines Vaccine candidates have been developed to prevent influenza A(H5) virus infection in humans, although there are no available vaccine candidates to prevent A(H5) infection in humans for pandemic preparedness purposes. “Detailed analysis of the epidemiological situation, further characterisation of the most recent viruses (in humans and birds) and serological investigations are needed to assess the risks.”

According to the agency, this case does not modify WHO’s existing recommendations on public health measures and influenza surveillance.

“Due to the continually evolving nature of influenza viruses, WHO emphasises the importance of Global surveillance to detect and monitor virological changes, epidemiology and clinical concerns associated with emerging or circulating viruses that may impact human and animal health and the timely transmission of viruses for risk assessment,” he explained.

“When there has been human exposure to a known outbreak of influenza A virus in domestic poultry, wild birds or other animals, or when a human case of infection with such a virus has been identified, there is a need for increased surveillance in the population, potentially including humans. This enhanced surveillance should consider the health-seeking behaviour of the population and should include a variety of active and passive health care and/or community-based approaches, such as enhanced surveillance in local ARI/ILI systems, active detection in hospitals High occupational risk groups Exposures have also been brought to the fore by traditional healers, private doctors and private diagnostic laboratories,” he said in the statement.

“In the case of confirmed or suspected human infection due to new influenza A viruses with pandemic potential, including avian influenzaContact tracing as well as a thorough epidemiological investigation of animal contact and/or travel history is needed. Investigations should include early identification of unusual events that may indicate human-to-human transmission of the new virus. Clinical samples collected from suspected human cases should be analyzed and sent to the WHO Collaborating Centre for subsequent characterisation,” he added.

In addition, “the Travelers from outbreak countries Known animal influenzas Avoid farms, contact with animals at live animal markets, Entering areas where animals may be slaughtered or coming into contact with surfaces that may be contaminated with animal feces. Travelers They should wash their hands frequently with soap and water and follow good food safety and hygiene practices. If infected people from affected areas travel abroad, their infection may be detected in another country during travel or after their arrival. If this occurs, further community spread is considered unlikely, as the virus has not acquired the ability to transmit easily between humans.”

Symptoms of the H5N2 variant include:

Fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death.

The symptoms of the H5N1 variant are: cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose, fatigue and difficulty breathing.