Chile confirms first human case of H5N1 bird flu

Chile has detected the first case of bird flu in a human, the country’s health ministry said on Wednesday.The bird flu was detected in a 53-year-old man, who is from coastal city of Tocopilla, presented severe influenza symptoms, the ministry said in a statement. It added that the patient was in stable condition, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the government is also investigating the source of contagion as well as others who were in contact with the patient.The South American has reported cases of the H5N1 bird flu since late last year in wild animals. Chilean health authorities noted the virus can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, but there is no known human-to-human transmission.“The health protocols for the management of this disease were activated and the corresponding samples were taken for analysis by the Institute of Public Health, which confirmed it is avian influenza," the health ministry reportedly said.