WHO denies death from bird flu in Mexico

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified this Friday that the recent death of a patient in a hospital in Mexico is not attributable to H5N2 avian flu, but to “multifactorial” causes due to other ailments and diseases.

“It is important to indicate that the death was multifactorial, not attributable to the H5N2 virus,” WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier reiterated at a press conference.

The official source recalled that the patient arrived at the hospital after suffering symptoms for weeks, died the same day he was examined at the health center (April 24) and after that tests were carried out in which he tested positive for the H5N2 virus.

SEE ALSO Mexico denies one death from bird flu; emphasizes that there are no health risks

It is the first case of this common bird virus recorded in humans, although other subtypes of avian flu, such as H5N1, have been diagnosed in people in several countries over the last two decades (about 900 cases, half of them fatal). ).

The WHO spokesperson stressed that the investigation of the case is currently underway, but did not confirm whether this would lead to a re-evaluation of the global situation of bird flu (for now the organization considers that the health risk of this disease is low, despite to increasing outbreaks in birds and mammals).

The WHO reported the case in Mexico on Wednesday, June 5, although the next day the Mexican Government denied a direct relationship between the patient’s death and avian flu, accusing the health organization of issuing a “pretty bad” statement in the words of the secretary of Health Jorge Alcocer.

“I can point out that the statement made by the World Health Organization is quite bad, since from the outset it talks about a fatal case, which was not the case, he died from another cause and without a ruling having been made, and only marginally. says that the risk in this case is low,” declared the Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer.