Mexico - Ministry of Health reports a human case of H5N1 avian flu, Durango state - April 4, 2025 - Died, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b genotype D1.1.

[sharon sanders]

Rafa Fonoy

@rafoji



La OMS publica información sobre el primer caso y primer fallecimiento por influenza aviar H5N1 en México: Corresponde al clado 2.3.4.4b, genotipo D1.1, el cual es el que se relaciona con presentar enfermedad grave y que ya ha ocasionado defunciones (es el mismo que mató a un paciente en Luisiana) Inicia con síntomas el 7 de marzo y para el 13 del mismo mes es hospitalizada, iniciando con antivirales al día siguiente (lo que saldría del tiempo ideal indicado para usarlos). El 16 de marzo es trasladada a otra unidad y el 18 de marzo se le recolecta la muestra para PCR. Se han reportado brotes de A(H5N1) en aves en Durango, aunque la fuente exacta de infección en este caso continúa bajo investigación. Hasta la fecha, no se han identificado más casos de infección humana con influenza A(H5N1) relacionados con este caso. Durante el rastreo de contactos, se identificaron 91 personas, incluyendo 21 contactos domésticos, 60 profesionales sanitarios y 10 personas de una guardería. Las muestras de hisopado faríngeo y nasofaríngeo tomadas de 49 contactos dieron negativo para influenza A(H5N1). Falleció el 8 de abril por complicaciones respiratorias.

[Pathfinder]

Hat tip to Shiloh

Excerpt from the WHO report (post #15):
...
On 18 March, a nasopharyngeal swab was collected, and the sample was processed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The result was influenza A, non-subtypable. The sample was sent to the Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noroeste (CIBIN, by its Spanish acronym), IMSS Monterrey, where the result was confirmed as influenza A, non-subtypeable, along with simultaneous detection of parainfluenza 3 virus. On 31 March, the sample was forwarded to the Laboratorio Central de Epidemiología (LCE, by its Spanish acronym) “La Raza,” where it was molecularly identified as influenza A(H5). On 1 April, the sample was received by InDRE, where the positive result for influenza A(H5N1) was confirmed by RT-PCR. The sample was further characterized as avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b genotype D1.1.
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Mexican child infected with H5N1 bird flu dies from respiratory complications

By Susanne Rust
Staff Writer
April 18, 2025 8:57 AM PT
...
Authorities say the strain of bird flu is one that has been circulating in wild birds throughout North America, known as D1.1. It is the same strain implicated in the death of a person in Louisiana earlier this year, and in the case of a 13-year-old Canadian who was placed on life-support for several weeks before recovering.

Two others, a person in Wyoming and a poultry worker in Ohio, were also reported to have severe disease after exposure to this strain of the virus.

The strain has been detected in dairy herds from Nevada and Arizona.

“The case in Mexico is another great reminder of how dangerous H5 viruses can be,” said Richard Webby, an infectious disease expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

The D1.1 strain is widespread in the U.S. and Canada, but until this week’s WHO report it was unclear how far south the strain had traveled, he said.
...

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2025-04-18/mexican-child-infected-with-h5n1-bird-flu-dies-from-respiratory-complications