Mexico reported its first confirmed human death from the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza. A three-year-old girl from the northern state of Coahuila died from multiple organ failure due to the virus, according to the state’s health secretary, Eliud Aguirre.
“This is Mexico’s first human death due to H5N1,” Aguirre said, continuing, “No other suspected cases have been detected so far.”
Global Bird Flu Fatalities in 2024
This fatal death comes on the heels of two reported H5N1-related deaths in Cambodia earlier this year. One of the victims, a child, had reportedly played and slept near a chicken coop where approximately 15 chickens had died. The United States also reported a human death from the virus in January 2024.
WHO Warns of Bird Flu Risks to Humans
The World Health Organization (WHO) has even been concerned about the human health threat posed by the H5N1 virus. “Human infection with the virus can cause severe illness and has a high mortality rate,” the WHO said.
To date, most reported human cases have been associated with direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. WHO reports that there is “no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission,” and the virus has not shown the capability to spread easily among people.
Surveillance Gaps Hamper Global Response
In 2023, WHO cautioned that uneven surveillance is constraining preparedness worldwide for pandemics such as H5N1. The health organization called for increased monitoring in animals and humans and for sharing samples and genetic sequencing information to improve understanding and control of the virus.
