September 9, 2024 – Health officials try to find out how an individual in Missouri contracted H5 avian influenza, or bird flu. It's the newest twist on the virus's recent behavior, which was discovered earlier this 12 months in farm staff, cows and milk.
The Missouri case is unusual in two ways: The person was hospitalized and had no known contact with an infected animal. So far this 12 months, greater than a dozen people have tested positive for bird flu, but all have had mild symptoms corresponding to conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis) or signs of the flu corresponding to a sore throat and a runny nose. In addition, all of those infected had contact with poultry or cattle. These cases involved agricultural staff in Colorado, Michigan and Texas.
Missouri health officials reported that the person had one other illness and was hospitalized on August 22, treated with antiviral flu medication and has since recovered. Follow-up tests by the CDC confirmed The diagnosis is made and the agency conducts further testing to learn more concerning the specific strain.
Missouri health officials are still investigating how the person could have been exposed to bird flu. Avian influenza has not been detected in cattle in Missouri, nevertheless it has been detected in industrial and backyard poultry flocks this 12 months. Close contacts of the Missouri patient showed no signs of the virus. It is feasible that the infection resulted from close contact with an infected migratory bird, Michael Osterholm, PhD, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy on the University of Minnesota, told USA today.
This is the primary case of bird flu detected by the country's influenza surveillance system. Flu samples from various health centers, corresponding to health departments and emergency rooms, are comprehensively examined for detailed details about virus strains. The other human cases of bird flu were identified this 12 months through a human testing program linked to animal outbreaks.
So far, there isn't any evidence of human-to-human transmission of bird flu, and health officials proceed to say the chance of bird flu to humans is low. The said the FDA that the industrial milk supply is secure as testing of pasteurized dairy products has found only non-viable signs of the virus.