April 1 (UPI) — The first human case of chicken flu in Texas has been reported, following publicity to contaminated dairy cattle. It is the second recorded case of the “extremely pathogenic avian influenza” within the United States, in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This person had publicity to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be contaminated with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses,” the CDC mentioned Monday in a statement. “The affected person reported eye redness (in keeping with conjunctivitis), as their solely symptom, and is recovering. The affected person was advised to isolate and is being handled with an antiviral drug for flu.”
The CDC mentioned Monday that the H5N1 chicken flu human well being threat evaluation for most of the people stays low.
“A person within the United States has examined optimistic for H5N1 chicken flu virus after publicity to cows that had been presumed to be contaminated with chicken flu viruses,” the CDC wrote Monday in a post on X. “CDC is monitoring the scenario and considers the danger to most of the people to be low.”
However, the CDC mentioned the danger for anybody with shut or extended, unprotected publicity to contaminated birds or different animals are “at larger threat of an infection.”
“CDC is working with state well being departments to proceed to watch staff who might have been in touch with contaminated or doubtlessly contaminated birds/animals and check these individuals who develop signs,” the company mentioned Monday.
While the CDC mentioned human circumstances of chicken flu within the United States are uncommon, they’ve occurred “sporadically worldwide.”
Monday’s reported case is the second within the United States, with the primary being reported in Colorado in 2022 when an inmate, who had been working with poultry as a part of a pre-release employment program, contracted avian flu. The man recovered after taking the antiviral drug Tamiflu, whereas isolating.
Bird flu signs can embrace a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nostril, complications, fatigued, eye redness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or seizures, in response to the CDC.
The United States first reported outbreaks amongst wild birds and poultry in late 2021. By October 2022, greater than 58 million home poultry needed to be culled to gradual the unfold of an infection.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture first reported HPAI in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas.
“Unpasteurized milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, in addition to a throat swab from a cow in one other dairy in Texas, examined optimistic for HPAI viruses,” the CDC mentioned.
Last week, the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI in a Michigan dairy herd that had just lately acquired cows from Texas.
“CDC is working carefully with state and federal companies, together with USDA, the Food and Drug Administration and native well being authorities to additional examine and carefully monitor this case,” officers mentioned.
To keep away from contracting avian flu, the CDC is warning individuals to “keep away from unprotected exposures to sick or useless animals, together with wild birds, poultry, different domesticated birds, and different wild or domesticated animals, animal carcasses uncooked milk, feces, litter or supplies contaminated by birds or different animals.”
The CDC can also be warning individuals to keep away from raw or undercooked meals, together with unpasteurized milk, from animals with suspected chicken flu.
