Second human case of bird flu confirmed in Michigan by Department of Health and Human Services

In a concerning development, a second person in the United States has been infected with bird flu, health officials announced on Wednesday. The case was identified in a Michigan farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock infected with bird flu, also known as avian influenza, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Fortunately, the farmworker experienced only mild symptoms and has since recovered. The health department has chosen not to release any additional identifying information about the individual.

This incident comes on the heels of the first human case of bird flu being reported in Texas last month, also linked to cattle. The infected individual in Texas reported eye redness as their only symptom after working directly with sick cattle. Including the Michigan case, only three cases of bird flu have ever been reported in the U.S.

Despite these cases, the risk to the general public is considered low, as stated by the MDHHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at MDHHS, emphasized the swift public health response in Michigan and the monitoring of the situation.

“The current health risk to the general public remains low. This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point,” Dr. Bagdasarian stated.

This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.