USA reports fourth case of bird flu in humans
Global health professionals are alarmed: For the fourth time in fewer months, a person in the USA has been infected with Avian Flu. The source of infection this time is a dairy farm in Colorado. The health department is working on a risk assessment.
For the fourth time within fewer months, a person in the USA has been infected with Avian Flu, this time in the state of Colorado, after coming into contact with infected cows. The woman had worked in a dairy farm and had been exposed to cows where the H5N1 virus had been detected, according to the CDC. The first case was reported in Texas in April, followed by two more cases in Michigan.
The patient in Colorado had only shown mild symptoms of Avian Flu in her eyes and had received antiviral medication. She has since recovered, it was reported. The CDC once again urged caution for farm workers coming into contact with infected cows. Regarding the Colorado case, "further genetic analyses" will be conducted to identify possible virus variants, which "could change the risk assessment for the population."
The Avian Flu virus H5N1 has been increasingly affecting livestock in recent months, including dairy herds in the USA. In several US states, numerous cattle herds have been infected, with the epidemic first detected in March.
Drosten: All Experts are Concerned
Several people have already been infected, raising concerns of a potential pandemic. The Chief Virologist of the Berlin Charité, Christian Drosten, described the Avian Flu virus as a potential trigger for an upcoming pandemic in light of its spread in the USA. The pathogen has recently appeared in dairy farms in the USA and "has even been detected in dairy products on the market," Drosten said over the weekend. "Something like this has never happened before, such extensive outbreaks in cows - all experts are concerned."
However, for a more precise assessment, better data is needed, explained the Virologist. "We don't yet know how often people are getting infected by these infected cows." It is desirable that decisive action is taken in the USA now.
The spread of Avian Flu, specifically the H5N1 virus, in dairy farms across several US states, including Colorado, has caught the attention of international health agencies. As noted by Christian Drosten, the Chief Viologiest from the Berlin Charité, this is a matter of concern, given that the virus has also been detected in dairy products in the USA, a phenomenon unprecedented in the past.
