Health authorities in the U.S. are studying seven people who developed influenza symptoms after being exposed to a Missouri bird flu patient, raising the possibility of the first human-to-human transmission of the infection.
Six were health care workers who encountered the first American known to be infected with bird flu without previous exposure to a sick animal, and the other was a close household contact of the patient.
One tested negative for bird flu and the others weren’t tested for active infections since they weren’t identified quickly enough to definitively diagnose it or rule it out, the CDC said.
More than 100 health care workers were exposed to the Missouri patient to varying degrees while the person was hospitalized, the agency said.
There have been 14 cases of avian influenza reported in the U.S. in 2024, including the Missouri patient disclosed in early September.
Health authorities in the U. s. are investigating seven individuals who experienced influenza-like symptoms following their contact with a Missouri bird flu patient, potentially indicating the first instance of the virus spreading from person to person.
There has been no positive test result for avian influenza, and efforts are being made to determine whether they possess antibodies against the virus that has been circulating in American dairy cows and birds. s. , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in a statement.
The first American known to have bird flu was exposed to six healthcare professionals who had never before come into contact with a sick animal; the patient’s close household contact was the other. Everyone who was exposed experienced mild respiratory symptoms.
As they weren’t discovered fast enough to confirm a diagnosis or rule out the possibility, the others weren’t tested for active infections and one tested negative for bird flu, according to the CDC. The Missouri patient was hospitalized and was exposed to more than 100 healthcare professionals to varied degrees, according to the agency.
The agency stated that there has been no indication of unusual influenza activity in people, including in Missouri. “CDC continues to closely monitor available data from influenza surveillance systems, particularly in affected states.”.
In the United States, there have been 14 cases of avian influenza recorded. s. in 2024, among them the patient from Missouri who was made public in early September. We still don’t know where that infection came from.
2024 Bloomberg L. H. P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
