A Texas resident has been diagnosed with the bird flu after being exposed to dairy cows, marking only the second instance of human infection by this virus strain in the United States. [Source]
Health officials from both federal and state levels have urgently addressed the situation, pointing to the rarity of the transmission and the minimal risk it poses to the general public.
The affected individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, experienced eye inflammation as the primary symptom, prompting an immediate medical investigation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the diagnosis last week, highlighting the direct exposure to dairy cows suspected of harboring the virus.
“The patient had been directly exposed to dairy cows presumed to be infected,” Texas health authorities stated, emphasizing the low risk to the broader community.
Officials have been quick to reassure the public that the bird flu virus, identified as Type A H5N1, has not undergone any mutations that would facilitate human transmission.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also weighed in, affirming, “While cases among humans in direct contact with infected animals are possible, this indicates that the current risk to the public remains low.”
This case follows closely on the heels of reports last week of dairy cows in Texas and Kansas testing positive for the virus, a discovery that has since expanded to include herds in Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico.
It marks the first known incidence of the disease in dairy cattle, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, which noted an increasing prevalence of the virus in mammals over recent years.
Despite the concern, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has reassured the nation, stating, “this outbreak is not currently expected to threaten our nation’s commercial dairy supply.”
The emphasis has been on the rarity of human infections, which typically require close or prolonged contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.
The United States witnessed its first human infection of this virus in 2022, involving a prison inmate participating in a labor program at a Colorado poultry farm. The individual fully recovered from the sole symptom of fatigue. [Source]
Historically, the bird flu emerged as a significant threat to human health during a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong, leading to 18 infections and six fatalities.
Since then, the World Health Organization reports that over 460 individuals have succumbed to the virus globally over the past two decades.
As this recent case in Texas unfolds, health officials continue to monitor the situation closely.