The authorities are investigating the source of the contact and whether there are others affected who have been close to the patient.
Chili reported its first case of bird flu in humans, in the north of the country, after detecting positive cases in animals in 13 of the 16 regions of the country.
“The sick person corresponds to a 53-year-old man affected by a severe influenza picture. The patient is stable within his severity”, The Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The institution added that the source of the contact is being investigated and whether there are others affected who have been close to the patient.
The H5N1 virus or “bird flu” is a virus that can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, and can cause symptoms such as coughing, fever above 38°C, diarrhea, among others.
The World Health Organization (WHO) called at the beginning of February for vigilance against the risk of transmission of bird flu to mammals after detecting cases in foxes, otters and sea lions.
Chile had already detected the virus in wild birds, sea lions and otters in 13 of the 16 regions that make up the country since December 2022. The first case was reported in the city of Arica (border with Peru).
Last week, the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service reported the detection of a case of bird flu in an industrial plant in the south of Chile, which implied the slaughter of about 50,000 birds.
Source: Ambito
