First human case of bird flu reported in Texas, following exposure to infected cattle

The first quality lawsuit of vertebrate flu successful Texas has been reported, pursuing vulnerability to infected dairy cattle. File Photo by Bill Greenblat/UPI | License Photo

April 1 (UPI) -- The first quality lawsuit of vertebrate flu successful Texas has been reported, pursuing vulnerability to infected dairy cattle. It is nan 2nd recorded lawsuit of nan "highly pathogenic avian influenza" successful nan United States, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This personification had vulnerability to dairy cattle successful Texas presumed to beryllium infected pinch HPAI A(H5N1) viruses," nan CDC said Monday in a statement. "The diligent reported oculus redness (consistent pinch conjunctivitis), arsenic their only symptom, and is recovering. The diligent was told to isolate and is being treated pinch an antiviral supplier for flu."

The CDC said Monday that nan H5N1 vertebrate flu quality wellness consequence appraisal for nan wide nationalist remains low.

"A personification successful nan United States has tested affirmative for H5N1 vertebrate flu microorganism aft vulnerability to cows that were presumed to beryllium infected pinch vertebrate flu viruses," nan CDC wrote Monday in a post connected X. "CDC is monitoring nan business and considers nan consequence to nan wide nationalist to beryllium low."

However, nan CDC said nan consequence for anyone pinch adjacent aliases prolonged, unprotected vulnerability to infected birds aliases different animals are "at greater consequence of infection."

"CDC is moving pinch authorities wellness departments to proceed to show workers who whitethorn person been successful interaction pinch infected aliases perchance infected birds/animals and trial those group who create symptoms," nan agency said Monday.

While nan CDC said quality cases of vertebrate flu successful nan United States are rare, they person occurred "sporadically worldwide."

Monday's reported lawsuit is nan 2nd successful nan United States, pinch nan first being reported successful Colorado successful 2022 erstwhile an inmate, who had been moving pinch poultry arsenic portion of a pre-release employment program, contracted avian flu. The man recovered aft taking nan antiviral supplier Tamiflu, while isolating.

Bird flu symptoms tin see a fever, cough, sore throat, runny aliases stuffy nose, headaches, fatigued, oculus redness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting aliases seizures, according to nan CDC.

The United States first reported outbreaks among chaotic birds and poultry successful precocious 2021. By October 2022, much than 58 cardinal home poultry had to beryllium culled to slow nan dispersed of infection.

Last month, nan U.S. Department of Agriculture first reported HPAI successful dairy cows successful Texas and Kansas.

"Unpasteurized beverage from sick cattle collected from 2 dairy farms successful Kansas and 1 successful Texas, arsenic good arsenic a pharynx swab from a cattle successful different dairy successful Texas, tested affirmative for HPAI viruses," nan CDC said.

Last week, nan USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI successful a Michigan dairy herd that had precocious received cows from Texas.

"CDC is moving intimately pinch authorities and national agencies, including USDA, nan Food and Drug Administration and section wellness authorities to further analyse and intimately show this situation," officials said.

To debar contracting avian flu, nan CDC is informing group to "avoid unprotected exposures to sick aliases dormant animals, including chaotic birds, poultry, different domesticated birds, and different chaotic aliases domesticated animals, animal carcasses earthy milk, feces, litter aliases materials contaminated by birds aliases different animals."

The CDC is besides informing group to debar uncooked aliases undercooked food, including unpasteurized milk, from animals pinch suspected vertebrate flu.