PUBLIC HEALTHAvian Flu Infects Person Exposed to Sick Cows in Texas
Federal and state health officials yesterday reported that a person connected to a dairy farm in Texas has tested positive for H5N1 avian flu, the first known case linked to sick dairy cows and the nation’s second since the virus began circulating in wild bird and poultry in 2022.
Federal and state health officials yesterday reported that a person connected to a dairy farm in Texas has tested positive for H5N1 avian flu, the first known case linked to sick dairy cows and the nation’s second since the virus began circulating in wild bird and poultry in 2022.
Yesterday’s case announcement underscores new interim guidance that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released over the weekend on preventing, detecting, and responding to avian flu infections in humans, which are very rare and mainly pose a threat to people who are exposed to sick animals or contaminated environments.
The day before the CDC posted its new guidance, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has now been confirmed in a dairy herd in Michigan, bringing the number of affected states to five.
Eye Redness the Only Symptom
The CDC said yesterday that the patient reported eye redness (conjunctivitis) as the only symptom and is recovering. The patient has been asked to isolate and is being treated with a flu antiviral drug.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) said the person had contact with dairy cows, and it urged healthcare providers to be vigilant for people with symptoms of H5N1 flu, especially in those who have close contact with animals that have suspected infections.
Though conjunctivitis isn’t a common symptom of seasonal flu, the TDSHS said it has been seen before in people infected with avian flu viruses.
In its new guidance, the CDC urged people exposed to H5N1 in birds or other animals to monitor themselves for new respiratory symptoms, including conjunctivitis, for 10 days following initial exposure. The monitoring is recommended even for people who wear recommended personal protective equipment.
For patients with conjunctivitis symptoms, the CDC recommends that healthcare providers obtain both conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swab samples.
“CDC is working with state health departments to continue to monitor workers who may have been in contact with infected or potentially infected birds/animals and test those people who develop symptoms,” the agency said in its news release yesterday.
