United States: California Department of Public Health this Tuesday reported a suspected bird flu scare in a child who had been rushed to hospital for tests on mild upper respiratory symptoms.
Described by the agency as having no direct contact with an infected animal, the child’s possible exposure to diseased wild birds is being studied by public health officials, as reported by The Hills.
No Confirmed Cases of Human Bird Flu
Avian influenza is a rare disease; no cases involving people getting infected with bird flu have been reported in California or any part of the United States.
As many as 26 human cases of bird flu have been confirmed in California since the beginning of October; all the victims became infected after coming into direct contact with infected dairy cows. All, to the best of the knowledge of this author, have manifested mild upper respiratory symptoms—mainly conjunctivitis, also known as ‘pink eye,’ and no student has been hospitalized.
There was confirmation that state officials had liaised with the CDC to determine the cause of the first positive test of the child, and samples were taken and forwarded to the CDC for further testing.
Child Tests Positive for Low-Level Bird Flu
It was a PCR test, which came out positive though at a very low level, meaning the child did not pose a risk of infecting others. Other members of the family also tested positive for mild flu-like respiratory illness, but all tested negative for bird flu and were never considered to have had the virus at all, according to official reports.
The bird flu test was negative four days later, and other tests on the child revealed that he was positive for other respiratory viruses, such as precipitated cold and flu.
Authorities stated that the child was in daycare, showing mild flu-like symptoms when the test was taken, and it could be bird flu. Local public health officials have contacted possibly affected caregivers and families as a precaution to check for symptoms and provide details of preventive treatment and testing in case of symptoms, as reported by The Hills.
Public Health Reassurance
“It’s natural for people to be concerned, and we want to reinforce for parents, caregivers, and families that based on the information and data we have, we don’t think the child was infectious – and no human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years,” California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Tomás Aragón said in a statement.