A person in Texas has been diagnosed with a highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
This is the first case of a person reported to have tested positive for influenza A(H5N1) viruses in the United States in nearly two years.
It comes a few days after the presence of rare human case of bird flu was reported in diagnostic samples from two Texas and two Kansas dairies were confirmed.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said the patient became ill following contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with avian influenza. Conjunctivitis was the patient’s only symptom. The person is recovering, according to CDC, which did not disclose the patient’s identity.
CDC said the patient was told to isolate and is being treated with an antiviral drug for flu. Routine antiviral treatment, such as Tamiflu (oral oseltamivir), is known to be effective against flu, according to The Texas Department of State Health Services.
The federal health agency said this infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection.
CDC said it is working with state health departments to continue to monitor workers who may have been in contact with infected or potentially infected birds/animals and test those people who develop symptoms.
Bird Flu in dairy cows was first reported in Texas and Kansas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 25.
On March 29, USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the disease in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas.
Bird Flu typically infects wild birds but can spread to domestic species.
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