Mexico Confirms First Human Case of H5N1 Bird Flu

MEXICO CITY () – The Mexican Health Ministry reported on Friday that the country has identified its initial instance of H5N1 avian influenza in humans, commonly referred to as bird flu.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that a three-year-old girl from the northern state of Durango has been infected and she continues to be hospitalized in critical condition.

"The health ministry stated that so far, there has been no indication of ongoing human-to-human spread." The ministry also noted that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the overall public health risk posed by this virus to people at large remains minimal.

A highly virulent form of the H5N1 virus has been circulating globally since 2020, primarily affecting commercial poultry with fatal outbreaks and occasionally infecting various species ranging from alpacas to domestic cats. Recently, in the previous year, this strain was identified in cattle for the first time as well.

The economy of Durango largely depends on agriculture, with the cattle sector being particularly prominent.

The previous year, the World Health Organization documented Mexico’s initial lab-verified instance of H5N2 avian influenza infecting a human without any recorded contact with birds, and this individual unfortunately passed away due to an ongoing medical condition.

(Reported by Brendan O'Boyle; edited by Cassandra Garrison)