Increasing numbers of healthcare personnel interacting with the Missouri bird flu patient are experiencing respiratory distress symptoms.
A healthcare employee exhibiting symptoms had what officials regard as high-risk interactions with the patient, entailing attention before the hospital advised taking precautions like donning masks while attending to the patient.
Additional workers allegedly encountered the patient with low-risk contact following the hospital's instructions for precautions.
At the time of their symptoms, none of these workers underwent testing, as the CDC reported on Friday.
Prior to this announcement on Friday, two more healthcare workers were identified with symptoms after catering to the patient, bringing the total number of such workers to six.
To illustrate the scope of the investigation, 18 healthcare workers have been identified with high-risk exposure to the patient, and 94 others with low-risk interactions, according to the CDC.
The six infected healthcare workers didn't exhibit severe symptoms and have since recovered. One worker testednegative for influenza at the time of their sickness. The remaining five will have their blood tested to detect if they possess antibodies against the virus, indicating a past H5N1 infection, as additionally stated by the CDC.
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It's been three weeks since the CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services declared that an individual with no animal contact had tested positive for H5N1, marking the 14th human infection in the US since April.
The previous 13 cases involved farm workers with direct exposure to infected dairy cows and chickens. The root cause of the Missouri patient's infection remains under investigation, with the probe led by the state, with help from the CDC.
None of the individuals in the US diagnosed with confirmed H5N1 infection have reported spreading the virus to others. Such a scenario would cause concern, hinting at the virus evolving in a manner that could facilitate easier human transmission.
In other news, the CDC has developed a test for wastewater capable of distinguishing H5 virus samples from other subtypes of influenza A. This will be valuable during the US flu season, as influenza A becomes more prevalent in wastewater.
The CDC advises:
- Avoid contact with sick or deceased animals, including wild and farmed birds and cows.
- Keep away from animal bedding and litter suspected of carrying H5N1 influenza.
- Do not consume raw milk. Heating milk inactivates the virus, so pasteurized products are safe.
- Wear personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves when dealing with sick animals.
The CDC maintains that the immediate risk to the public from H5N1 bird flu remains low.
Given the ongoing investigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the importance of prioritizing health and following their guidelines. For instance, individuals should avoid contact with sick or deceased animals and wear personal protective equipment during such encounters.
Despite the six healthcare workers contracting the virus, none of them demonstrated severe symptoms or passed it on to others, reassuring health authorities about the virus's current transmissibility.
