WASHINGTON, United States: A person in the United States is recovering from bird flu after coming into contact with dairy cows, an official statement said Monday.
This is the second positive case of bird flu in the country and follows a string of bird flu infections in Texas, Kansas and several other states over the past week.
The Centers for Disease said that the patient reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis) as the only symptom and he is recovering. He has been told to isolate and is being treated with antiviral drugs used for the flu.
The CDC added that the current outbreak does not significantly change the health risk assessment for the US public from avian influenza.
The first case occurred in Colorado in 2022 and was transmitted through infected poultry.
Experts say an increasing number of mammals are becoming infected with the current H5N1 strain of highly acute avian influenza (HPAI), although cases among humans are extremely rare. There are concerns about the possibility of primate-to-mammal spread.
The Texas Department of Health Services added that cow infections are not a concern for the commercial milk supply because dairy farms must dispose of milk from sick cows. Pasteurization also kills all viruses.
It also provides guidance to affected dairy farms on how to minimize worker exposure and whether workers handling affected cows should be monitored and tested for symptoms.
