Fourth case of bird flu in the USA after contact with cows

Virus on dairy farms - Fourth case of bird flu in the USA after contact with cows

In the USA, a fourth case of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) infection in humans after contact with chickens has been reported. A worker at a dairy farm in the state of Colorado was affected, according to the US Health Department CDC. Chickens at the farm had previously tested positive for the virus. The affected person showed only eye symptoms, was treated, and has since recovered.

At the end of March, the Avian Influenza H5N1 virus was first detected in the USA in chickens. It was likely that the animals had been infected by wild birds, according to statements from the US Department of Agriculture at the time. Since then, four human infections have been confirmed - two in Michigan, one in Texas, and one in Colorado. The infections are believed to have occurred through direct contact with infected chickens, not from person to person. Experts assume that there are still undetected cases in the USA.

Risk for people remains low

This new case does not change the assessment of the CDC that the Avian Influenza risk for people in the USA remains low. However, people with close contact to infected animals are at greater risk of infection.

Additional genetic analyses will be conducted on the sample sent to the CDC to determine if and how the virus has changed. The results could impact the risk assessment of the agency.

Avian Influenza, or Avian Influenza, is caused by Influenza A Viruses in humans, but through different subtypes. The largest documented Avian Influenza outbreak, which is spreading across almost the entire planet and also affects Europe, is currently ongoing. The pathogen primarily affects birds, but has also been found in many other animals, including cats, bears, and seals.

Warning of human adaptation

Human infections have been reported only sporadically. Health experts warn, however, of the danger that the virus could adapt to humans and then be transmitted from person to person.

CDC statement CDC on X

1. The dairy farm where the latest Avian Flu case was reported in a worker is located in the state of Colorado in the USA.
2. The US Health Department's CDC confirmed a fourth case of Avian Influenza infection in a person, which was contracted after contact with chickens at the dairy farm.
3. The CDC, a US health authority in Atlanta, stated that the risk of Avian Influenza for people in the USA remains low, despite the recent cases.
4. The Avian Influenza H5N1 virus was first detected in chickens in the USA at the end of March and was believed to have been transmitted from wild birds.
5. Since then, the CDC in Atlanta has confirmed four human infections with Avian Influenza, three in different states, and one in Colorado.
6. Experts are conducting additional genetic analyses on the sample sent to the CDC to determine if and how the virus has changed, which could impact the risk assessment by the agency.
7. The Avian Influenza virus, also known as Bird Flu, is caused by Influenza A Viruses and can affect various animals, including cows on dairy farms, and has the potential to adapt to humans and spread from person to person, according to health experts in the field of science.

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