CDC reports human H5 bird flu infection in US
Washington (US), April 29: A case of H5 bird flu has been confirmed in a man in the US state of Colorado, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed on Thursday.
According to reports, this man had direct exposure to poultry and the culling of birds with presumptive H5N1 bird flu.
"This is the second human case associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant, and the first case in the United States," CDC stated in a statement.
The CDC further added that it is possible that the detection was a result of surface contamination.
"This one H5-positive human case does not change the human health risk assessment," the CDC said, adding it is taking "routine preparedness and prevention measures, which includes an existing candidate vaccine virus that could be used to make vaccine for people if one were needed."
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it has been monitoring and testing individuals who have been exposed to avian flu, commonly known as the H5N1 virus, infected poultry and wild birds.
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A single nasal sample from a person who worked on a farm with infected chickens tested positive for the influenza A (H5) virus earlier this week. On April 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the reports.
"Because the person was in close contact with infected poultry, the virus may have been present in the person's nose without causing infection," the Colorado Department of Public Health informed.
Man, who is younger than 40, is largely asymptomatic, reporting only fatigue and is now isolating and receiving the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) per CDC guidance.
Earlier in February, the avian flu was first detected in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana, becoming the first case of infection in the US since 2020.
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-PTC News
