A new case of bird flu in the United States has puzzled health officials, as the patient had no known contact with animals. The individual, who has since recovered, is the 14th person to contract highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAIV) this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This marks the first case where there was “no immediate known animal exposure.”
Previously, all human cases were traced to workers in direct contact with infected animals on poultry or dairy farms. However, the recent case in Missouri, where only poultry and wild birds have tested positive for the H5N1 strain, remains a mystery. The patient was initially diagnosed with influenza A, but further tests confirmed the presence of avian influenza.
The CDC is now sequencing the virus to determine how it was transmitted to the patient, raising concerns about the virus adapting to infect mammals, including humans. While the patient has not passed the virus to close contacts, the CDC still lists the threat to the public as “low.”
Missouri’s Department of Health emphasized that the risk of widespread human transmission remains minimal. However, health officials are closely monitoring the situation for signs of increased severity or mutation, which could pose a greater public health risk.
This is the first bird flu case detected through the nation’s flu surveillance system, highlighting the ongoing efforts to track unusual forms of influenza across the US and beyond.
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