Missouri’s first human case of avian influenza, or H5 bird flu, has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The patient, who has recovered from the virus, reported no exposure to animals.
State epidemiologist, Dr. George Turabelidze, told Missourinet that human-to-human transmission has yet to occur in the United States.
“It does not mean that it’s not possible,” said Turabelidze. “It happened in other countries, but in order for that to happen, it has to be very close prolonged contact with very sick and other human beings.”
This specific strain is primarily found in wild birds and poultry but was recently found in dairy cows and other animals. There have not been any H5 infections in Missouri’s dairy cattle.
“With multiple interviews with the person, there was no contact with animals who could have been infected,” he said. “And also, there was no contact with any unpasteurized dairy, which may produce at least a positive result for H5. None of these was established.”
This is the fifteenth human case of H5 reported in the U.S. since 2022, and the fourteenth this year.
“We don’t really have a source of infection for this person, and we still continuing investigation, but I have to say that from many cases that we have, and also around the world, there is a potential fraction of cases where a source is never determined,” he said.
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