US Confirms First Bird Flu Case Without Animal Contact
A person in Missouri has become the first in the United States to test positive for bird flu without a known exposure to infected animals, health authorities announced on Friday.
The adult patient, who has underlying health conditions, was hospitalized on August 22. After receiving antiviral medications for influenza, the individual recovered and was discharged, according to statements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Initial tests indicated a suspicious type of flu, prompting further analysis in state and federal laboratories, which confirmed it as H5, commonly known as avian flu or bird flu. This marks the 14th bird flu case in the US this year but is unique as it involves no known contact with infected animals.
“No H5 infection in dairy cattle has been reported in Missouri,” the Missouri health department stated, although there have been some cases in commercial or backyard flocks and wild birds.
Previously, all bird flu cases in the US were reported among farmworkers, with the first case occurring in 2022. The virus is typically found in wild birds and poultry but has recently been detected in mammals, with outbreaks among cattle reported across the country this year. Human infections generally occur through close contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.
While the CDC continues to assess the risk to the public as low, it cautioned that “circumstances may change quickly as more information is learned.”
Although there have been rare cases globally where an animal source could not be identified, there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of H5, which would significantly increase the threat level.
