Though not the first H5N1 case worldwide to induce respiratory symptoms, this infection, linked to a current cattle outbreak, is the first to do so in the United States.
The current bird flu outbreak in cows on American dairy farms has been connected to a third human case, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on May 30. This case included respiratory symptoms like coughing.
Since March, when officials first learned that avian flu was spreading among dairy cows in the United States, nine states have reported cases of the virus in cattle.
H5N1, the type of avian flu that is circulating, has occasionally infected a single human but has never transmitted rapidly from person to person. These uncommon human infections can, however, occasionally be lethal, and there is worry that the virus may acquire the essential mutations to propagate readily among the general public.
As far as we know, prior to the cow outbreak, there had only ever been one case of H5N1 infection in the United States. Three people have most certainly contracted the disease since the outbreak started by coming into contact with ill animals. Both of the individuals who were infected by a cow—one in Texas and the other in Michigan—work on dairy farms and only experienced eye infections before recovering from the virus.
The third case, which was just made public and was connected to cow exposure, happened on a different farm in Michigan. After receiving therapy, the patient is currently withdrawing at home while their symptoms go away. The fact that this virus is the first human case of H5N1 linked to respiratory symptoms in the United States makes it noteworthy.
“This is the first human case of H5 in the United States to report more typical symptoms of acute respiratory illness associated with influenza virus infection, including A(H5N1) viruses,” the CDC noted. “The patient reported upper respiratory tract symptoms, including cough without fever, and eye discomfort with watery discharge.”
Humans can contract bird flu viruses, such as H5N1, which can cause both moderate and severe symptoms, such as pneumonia, breathing difficulties, convulsions, and pink eye, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and body aches. Antiviral medications for the seasonal flu can help treat the illness, yet infections can be lethal if they are severe.
Read More: Click Here
