Chile has confirmed its first case of bird flu in humans

He Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday the first case of bird flu in humans in that country, which corresponds to a 53-year-old man. Several positive cases in animals had already been detected in almost all of its regions.

The medical record reported that the patient presents “a picture of a severe flu”but it is stable.

The ministry did not reveal the man’s identity or the region where the infection occurred.

According to the local newspaper Thirdthe health protocols established for the management of this disease have been activated and the related tests have been taken for analysis by the Institute of Public Health (ISP).

In the press conference the head of the body, the minister Ximena AguileraClarified this “There is currently no person-to-person transmission”.

Humans only get bird flu “through contact with sick animals,” he stressed.

At present, the source of the contact and whether there is a history of other affected persons in the patient’s environment are being investigated.

“In this case, the origin of the patient will be investigated, what history he has, what type of contact he has had with dead birds or animals, if there are other people who have shared this type of contact and people are sought who have a compatible clinical picture to ask them for exams,” Aguilera said.

Finally, as in our country, the Chilean Ministry of Health has invited “not to handle sick or dead birds or mammals” and urged workers in the poultry sector “to follow safety protocols”.

Additionally, they indicated that this workforce should be vaccinated against seasonal flu.

Sick animals in Chile

In people, the H5N1 virus can cause coughing, diarrhea and a fever above 38°C, among other symptoms.

It can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, but no cases of human-to-human transmission are known.

Chile has already detected the virus in wild birds, sea lions and otters in 13 of its 16 regions. The first case was reported in December 2022 in the city of Arica (border with Peru).

Last week, Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service reported the detection of a case of bird flu at an industrial plant in southern Chile, resulting in the culling of nearly 50,000 birds.

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