United States: A person in Louisiana is hospitalized with what may be the state’s first case of bird flu, state health officials said Friday.
Louisiana Reports Suspected Human Bird Flu Case
The case involves “a resident of southwestern Louisiana,” the state Department of Health said on its website. “The individual had exposure to sick and dead birds that are suspected to have been infected with H5N1,” the virus that causes bird flu, as reported by NBC News.
Authorities there stated that they are in touch with the CDC. The patient is the second individual in the United States to be admitted to the hospital due to the virus.
Speaking to NBC News, the CDC stated that although Louisiana is responsible for the investigation, the CDC “will be doing the confirmatory testing.”
Bird Flu Spreading Across U.S. Farms
The flu that threatens the chickens that produce our eggs and attacks dairy cows in the U.S. has been around since spring. By Friday, the epidemic had affected 845 dairy farms in the 16 states, according to the Agriculture Department. Of those herds, a vast majority are located in California.
Last week, the USDA required milk samples to be taken and tested for bird flu. The organization wants to improve the identification of infections within the herds and stop the spread.
Human Cases Remain Rare and Mild
This year alone, 60 or more human bird flu cases have been reported in the U.S. Most of the infections were in California and Washington, and most of the affected victims worked on farms and came into contact with infected poultry or dairy cows.
That number, therefore, may not be the true figure. In November, a report published by the CDC suggested that farmworkers are also getting infected with bird flu but are not showing any symptoms of illness.
Currently, the health authorities are reporting that there is no sign that the bird flu is transmitted from one human being to another. All those affected indicated that they had had direct contact with animals; one of the people was a hospitalized patient in Missouri, and another was a child from California.
The cases have largely been mild; one of the main symptoms identified is pinkeye or conjunctivitis. No deaths have been reported. A teenager in Canada who caught bird flu last month was seriously affected and had to be admitted to the hospital.
Related research on pasteurized milk for infectious bird flu virus in the country has so far produced negative results. Nevertheless, raw milk has been infected by the virus, and it is a type of milk that has not been pasteurized, as reported by NBC News.
The Louisiana Department of Health provided advice on how to stay healthy:
- Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings or bring sick wild animals into your home.
- Keep pets away from ill or dead animals and their waste.
- Avoid uncooked goods from animals with a suspected or confirmed infection, such as raw milk or unpasteurized cheese.