Bird flu patient had no apparent contact with animals – and there’s still no evidence of sustained human-to-human spread

Six healthcare workers in the US who were in close contact with a patient known to have bird flu developed mild respiratory symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The patient was not known to have had contact with livestock or other animals, raising the possibility of human-to-human spread.

Only one healthcare worker was tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus, but the results were negative. All of the healthcare workers provided blood samples to test for bird flu antibodies, but the results of those tests are not known.

The CDC characterises the risk to the public at present to be low.