First human death from bird flu recorded: 3-year-old girl

Health authorities in Mexico announced the death of a 3-year-old girl after contracting the H5N1 bird flu virus, marking the country's first recorded human death from the disease.

Officials stated that the girl, from the northwestern state of Durango, died of respiratory complications resulting from the infection after being admitted to the hospital on Friday.

Comprehensive Testing

So far, 38 people who had direct contact with the girl have been tested, and their results have come back negative. No other human cases have been reported.

Authorities confirmed that the risk of further human transmission of the virus remains low.

Aviary Flu

The H5N1 virus is currently widespread among wild birds around the world and has also infected many wild mammals.

According to the World Health Organization, 464 human deaths from the virus were recorded globally between 2003 and December 12, 2024, most of them in Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Cambodia until 2019.

Since then, deaths from the virus have become relatively rare. In January, a person in the United States died for the first time from the infection.