The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that on June 5th a 59-year-old man became the first fatal victim of avian flu A(H5N2) virus in the world. He lived in the State of Mexico, in the central part of Mexico and had multiple underlying health conditions. However, he was not exposed to poultry or other farm animals. The specimen sample was sequenced and indicated that it was positive for avian influenza A(H5N2).
WHO says that, “a human infection caused by a new subtype of influenza A virus is an event that can have a high impact on public health and must be reported to WHO.” However, it is important to state that WHO establishes that there is a low risk of this virus for the general population.
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N2) were detected in backyard poultry in the nearby State of Michoacán, bordering the State of Mexico. And two outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A(H5N2) were identified in poultry in the State of Mexico. But WHO says that, “it has not been possible to establish whether this human case is related to the recent outbreaks in poultry.”
This news must be taken with calm and logic, particularly by authorities, the general public and the media. Just a couple of hours after the WHO release, several media outlets published partial information mixed with the outbreaks of cows in the U.S.
It is important to stress the following:
- WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low.
- No further cases have been reported.
- Whenever avian influenza viruses are circulating in poultry, there is a risk for infection in humans.
- Human cases of infections with other H5 subtypes including A(H5N1), A(H5N6) and A(H5N8) viruses have been previously reported.
- A(H5) viruses from previous events have not acquired the ability to sustain transmission between humans, thus the current likelihood of sustained human-to-human spread is low.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
As previously indicated, part of our mission with this newsletter is to keep you informed about issues impacting agriculture and the farmers/ranchers purchasing your trucks. Bird Flu is like a perpetual story that has implications for both agriculture and consumers. It is discouraging to learn that there has been a human death related to this virus. We are cautioned that the risk is extremely low, but the news is a bit disconcerting all the same. Thus far, the agricultural impact has been limited primarily to chickens and dairy herds. We are still hopeful that this is nearing a complete resolution.
