The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a human case of bird flu in a dairy farm worker in Michigan, marking the second human infection linked to the recent multistate outbreak in cows.
The farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock infected with the bird flu virus developed mild symptoms in the eye. An eye swab from the patient tested positive for the influenza A(H5) virus after being sent to the CDC. Officials reported that the unidentified patient fully recovered from the infection.
"A human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) ("H5 bird flu") virus infection in the United States has been identified in the state of Michigan. This is the second case associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) in dairy cows," the CDC news release stated.
The first human case was reported in a dairy farm worker in Texas in March, after the individual developed similar conjunctivitis symptoms following exposure to infected cattle.
The CDC confirmed there is still no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and infection risk to the public remains low. It has tested close to 40 people since March.
However, due to the widespread infection in cows and the high levels of bird flu virus found in unpasteurized milk from infected cows, officials expect additional human cases.
Officials said that precautions should be taken by those who have potential exposure to infected animals.
"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. This is exactly how public health is meant to work, in early detection and monitoring of new and emerging illnesses," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said in a news release.
"However, this development underscores the importance of recommended precautions for people with exposure to infected or potentially infected animals. People with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection," the CDC news release stated.
