Bird flu: First human in world dies of H5N2 virus in Mexico, WHO confirms

A new strain of bird flu never seen before in humans has killed a man in Mexico.

The patient had been hospitalised in Mexico City with a strain of bird flu known as H5N2, the WHO said in a statement. The strain has largely gone under the radar, with the outbreak raising questions about how much damage it could cause.

In a report about the situation, the WHO explained that they were notified of a human infection on May 23. It was related to a 59-year-old resident of Mexico who had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals. He also had several other underlying medical conditions.

He had already been bedridden for three weeks prior to the onset of acute symptoms of avian flu. On April 17, he started experiencing "fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise". On April 24, he died due to complications from the condition.