A person in Texas has tested electropositive for H5N1 bird flu after come into contact with dairy moo-cow that are presume to be infected with the virus .
fortuitously , the patient is recovering and their only reported symptom was ruddy eyes , according to the USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC ) . They ’ve been told to keep apart and are being treated with an antiviral drug for influenza .
While the case marks a significant milestone in the deepening bird flu outbreak , the CDC maintains that the extensive risk of exposure to the US public is dispirited . People at the highest risk are those who have close or keep up vulnerability to infected skirt or other animal , such as stock .
The development comes just a few sidereal day afterH5N1 bird flu was detectedat dairy farms in Texas , Kansas , New Mexico , and Michigan , and another unconfirmed “ presumptive ” outbreak in Idaho .
This is only the second someone ever reported to have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu in the US , the previous homo casebeing in 2022 in Colorado . This affected role also worked in agribusiness and was require in the culling of fowl with presumptivebird flu .
Bird flu , or avian influenza , is an infection in birds triggered by several strains of grippe A virus . This latest eruption is make by a song calledH5N1that was first identified in 1996 in geese in China and take off taint citizenry in Hong Kong in 1997 . Over the past four years , a young flesh of H5N1 has spread like wildfire around the reality , chiefly infect farmed poultry and wild birds , but also mammals – admit humans .
Between 2003 and late March 2024 , a aggregate of 888 human event of H5N1 , admit 463 death , have been report to theWorld Health Organization(WHO ) from 23 country . While the flu strain is always keep wellness authorities on their toes , the WHO also get by the jeopardy to the public is low since the risk of human - to - human ranch is lowly .
Beyond humans , the ongoing H5N1 bird flu outbreak has beenhaving a terrible impacton wildlife since 2000 . It ’s taint millions of bird and unknown number of mammalian . It ’s even obliterate animate being in the far - flung tips of Earth , let in apolar bear in Alaskaandpenguins in Antarctica .
