3-Year-Old Girl Dies from H5N1 Avian Influenza Infection in Mexico

First Human Death from H5N1 Infection Reported in Mexico
38 Additional Contacts Identified
All Tested Negative for H5N1 Infection

The Mexican Ministry of Health announced that a 3-year-old child who contracted highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has died.

According to the Mexican Ministry of Health on the 8th (local time), the girl, who resided in Durango in the northern region, was hospitalized for respiratory complications but passed away at 1:35 a.m. that day.

A scene of sorting eggs after washing in poultry. Photo by Yonhap News EPA

Local health authorities stated that this is the first case of a person dying from H5N1 avian influenza infection in Mexico.

In a press release, the Mexican Ministry of Health explained, "So far, 38 additional contact cases have been identified, and all of them tested negative for H5N1 infection," adding that no further signs of an epidemic have been confirmed.

In Mexico, last April, a man in his 50s who was infected with the H5N2 avian influenza virus died, marking the world's first such case.