Man in Mexico dies in first known human case of H5N2 bird flu variant

A 59-year-old male resident of Mexico died after being infected with a bird flu subtype never before confirmed to have spread to humans, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.

The man, who had other underlying health conditions, had no known exposure to poultry or other animals before being diagnosed by a laboratory with the H5N2 subtype of avian flu. This case is the first time a human has been confirmed to be infected with this subtype and the first time an avian H5 virus has been confirmed in a person in Mexico.

“Due to the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses, WHO continues to stress the importance of global surveillance,” WHO said in a statement. “This case does not change the current WHO recommendations on public health measures and surveillance of influenza,” it added, rating current risks to the general population as “low.”