Last Updated on 07/09/2024 by Arun jain
Officials in Missouri on Friday identified the first American infected with bird flu after more than six months of exposure to infected animals or birds on the country’s farms.
The case brings the number of human bird-flu infections to 14 this year. All previous human cases were acquired from interactions with infected dairy cattle or poultry. The new patient raises the unsettling possibility that the virus, called H5N1, can spread undetected among people.
It is unknown how the person became infected, but Missouri health officials said they are trying to pinpoint the source.
Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases Director Dr. “How high the risk of the disease is to the general public will determine the route of transmission,” said Naheed Bhadelia.
The case was picked up through routine seasonal flu surveillance in Missouri, where the person was hospitalized, and not during an on-farm investigation. The state has not reported any infections on its cattle farms, but has detected the virus in some commercial and backyard flocks, as well as in wild birds.
Since March, the bird flu virus has been detected in about 200 dairy herds in 14 states, although not enough testing has been done to measure the full spread. Bird flu was found in three cattle herds last week in California, the nation’s largest milk producer.
So far, H5N1 is known to infect a very wide range of wild animals and birds. It’s possible that a person in Missouri may have been inadvertently exposed to one of these species or contaminated milk or backyard bird feeders, said Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Missouri.
“There are many other avenues to look at,” he said.
The man, who has an underlying medical condition, was admitted to the hospital on August 22. The patient was treated with antiviral drugs, recovered and was sent home, Missouri officials said. They declined to give further details.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted a statement online but referred questions to the Missouri Department of Health. Missouri officials did not immediately respond to questions.
Dr. Osterholm said he had been assured that no new cases had been identified in the days since.
Part of the nation’s influenza surveillance program, a portion of flu tests in the nation’s hospitals are routinely sent to other labs for further testing. The Missouri Department of Health identified the influenza subtype as H5N1, and sent samples to the CDC for further analysis.
This is the first time routine flu surveillance has caught H5N1, although it has detected other new flu strains. Dr. Rentalia said they are pushing for a higher percentage of flu samples taken in hospitals to be included in routine surveillance.
“We’re always behind the outbreak,” she said, adding that testing more samples regularly would allow officials to “cast a wider net.”
While this person was hospitalized, she noted, other people who are infected may have fewer symptoms and not seek care at all.
Some studies have identified farm workers who carry antibodies to the virus—suggesting they were exposed to the pathogen—but cannot recall being sick.
The CDC, which completed its initial testing on Thursday, is Conducts genetic analysis of sample. That will reveal whether the virus can be different from the version circulating in dairy cattle.
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