Stay Informed: Human Infected with Bird Flu as Virus Spreads to Cows

Stay Informed: Human Infected with Bird Flu as Virus Spreads to Cows




An unexpected development in the avian influenza outbreak has been the infection of cows,⁢ in ⁣addition to millions of birds. A ​person who had​ contact​ with infected cattle on a​ Texas farm has also tested positive for H5N1, making them the ⁢second documented case in the United States. The infected individual is currently being treated ⁣for a single⁤ symptom, eye ⁤redness, with an ​antiviral drug. The source⁣ of the ‍infection in the cows is unknown, but it is suspected that it may be linked to wild bird excrement. Most ​cases ⁢of H5N1 ⁣in humans occur after ⁤close contact with ⁤infected animals, such as ⁣poultry, and can range from⁣ mild to severe (SN:⁢ 3/6/23). The CDC currently ⁤assesses the ‌risk of H5N1 to⁣ humans as‌ low. However, the USDA advises that milk from ⁢infected cows should be discarded before entering the food supply,‌ and pasteurization would effectively eliminate the virus from milk.

2024-04-03 06:30:00
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