World Health Organization warns a NEW strain of bird flu has jumped to humans with ‘potential for high public health impact’ – as man in Mexico, 59, tests positive before dying from it

A new strain of bird flu has jumped to humans in an event that has “potentially major consequences for public health”, the World Health Organization has warned.

Officials say a 59-year-old man in Mexico died after a seven-day illness in which he suffered from fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea and nausea.

Tests showed he was infected with a strain of bird flu called H5N2, marking the first time this type had ever been detected in humans. The patient had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals.

Officials said any case of new bird flu strains spreading to humans risked an outbreak, but in this case the risk was ‘low’ – they said there was no evidence of onward transmission and the patient had multiple underlying conditions.

The variant is different from the H5N1 bird flu that is currently sweeping through U.S. dairy herds and has already infected three U.S. dairy farm workers.

The 59-year-old man from Mexico died after contracting the bird flu strain H5N2, the first time it has been detected in humans (stock image)

It is distinct from the H5N1 strain currently responsible for the outbreak among livestock in the US, with 82 herds testing positive for the virus

The patient, from Mexico City, became unwell on April 17, but initially tried to manage his symptoms at home.

However, a week later, and after symptoms worsened, the patient went to hospital but died later that same day from the ‘complications of his condition’.

PCR tests conducted on April 24 showed that he was infected with an influenza virus, and the patient was later confirmed to have H5N2.

It was also reported that he was bedridden for three weeks before contracting the infection.

It was not clear where the patient had contracted the virus or whether he had spread it to others.

But officials said 17 people at the Mexico City hospital where he was being treated and 12 neighbors — including seven who showed signs of illness — had all tested negative for the virus.

Blood tests are now being done to screen for antibodies to H5N2, which could indicate a previous infection.

Officials also noted that several couples in the area had recently tested positive for H5N2, although it was not clear if these were linked to the patient.

Three people in the US have tested positive for H5N1. Two suffered from an eye infection, including the farmer above, while a third also had respiratory complaints

Dr. William “Bill” Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, said the case was concerning but it was likely sporadic bird flu infections would be discovered as more testing was done.

“We are looking very hard for bird flu infections, due to H5N1, around the world,” he told DailyMail.com.

‘We now also look much more advanced than we could do five to ten years ago.

“So I think we’re going to discover a strange infection that we didn’t expect, but that probably happened in the past but hasn’t been recorded.”

He added that he was “surprised” that the infection had been discovered in someone who had no contact with poultry, suggesting the individual may have contracted the disease through close contact – although this would need to be confirmed with testing.

H5N2 was first detected in poultry in the 1990s and has also been found in other animals, including pigs, known to infect humans with its diseases.

This species is not the type responsible for the current widespread outbreaks in the US animal population.

It is H5N1, which has been found everywhere from foxes to raccoons, skunks, cows, seals and deer.

Last week, experts raised concerns after a third American tested positive for H5N1 and was found to have new symptoms, including coughing.

This means the virus may be able to spread easily to others through infected airborne particles.

In the other two H5N1 cases, symptoms mainly involved the patient’s eyes, including watery discharge and bleeding.

A total of 82 dairy farms have now tested positive for bird flu, with Idaho reporting the highest number.