A New Bird Flu Death Is Making Experts Uneasy
The threat of bird flu to humans appears to be growing. As outbreaks of H5N1—a dangerous strain of avian influenza—continue to affect cows in the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on June 5 the first-ever case of a human infection with H5N2, a different strain of avian influenza. The infection was fatal.The case was first reported to the WHO on May 23 by health officials in Mexico City, where a 59-year-old man with several other health conditions was hospitalized. Before reporting shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea, the man had been bedridden for three weeks. Testing by the national lab showed that the man had H5N2, and further genetic sequencing confirmed the strain. Unlike the recent U.S. cases of H5N1 in people, the patien...