The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a third case of bird flu in a person from the ongoing outbreak in dairy cows, raising concerns about the potential for more infections in humans. The latest case involves a dairy farm worker in Michigan, marking the fourth known case of bird flu in a human in the U.S.
The CDC stated that given the extent of the spread of the virus in dairy cows, additional human cases would not be surprising. However, the agency emphasized that bird flu poses a low health risk to the general public at this time.
The new case does not change the CDC’s current assessment of the A(H5N1) bird flu human health risk for the general public. The agency is closely monitoring about 350 farm workers who were exposed to sick cows during the outbreak.
Bird flu is a type of flu virus that typically infects wild birds but can spread to other animals, including dairy cows. It occasionally infects humans, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness. Common symptoms include eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches.
The CDC recommends avoiding unprotected exposure to sick or dead animals with confirmed or suspected bird flu and monitoring for symptoms if exposed. Seasonal flu vaccines do not protect against bird flu.
The agency is working to prevent additional cases of A(H5N1) infections in dairy herd workers and is closely monitoring the situation to prevent the spread of the virus to humans.