US authorities report another human case of bird flu

WASHINGTON

A second case of bird flu has been found in a human, U.S. health authorities announced, less then two months after the first one as an outbreak of the disease circulates widely among dairy cows.

Both individuals infected with the virus called H5N1, the first in Texas, the second in Michigan, were dairy farm workers who suffered only minor symptoms and have recovered, according to authorities.

Despite the second infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its risk assessment for the general public remained "low," but it did suggest it expects more cases.

However, "sporadic human infections with no ongoing spread will not change the CDC risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low."

The latest case in Michigan was detected in "a worker on a dairy farm where H5N1 virus has been identified in cows," the agency said.

According to Michigan Health and Human Services, the worker had only mild symptoms and has recovered.

Two specimens were collected from the worker , one from the nose and the other from the eye, with only the eye specimen testing positive.

Additionally, "similar to the Texas case, the patient only reported eye symptoms," the CDC said.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission at present but health officials fear that if the virus were to eventually spread widely it could mutate into a form that could pass between humans.

Avian influenza A(H5N1) first emerged in 1996 but since 2020, the number of outbreaks in birds has grown exponentially, alongside an increase in the number of infected mammals.