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In less than a week following the discovery of sick dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas testing positive for bird flu, Texas state officials disclosed that an individual in the state had contracted the virus after coming into close contact with the infected cows.
According to a news alert from the Texas Department of State Health Services on Monday, the patient became unwell after contact with dairy cows suspected of being infected with avian influenza.
The primary symptom reported was conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye.
This marks the first human case of the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in Texas and the second in the United States. Authorities believe it is linked to recent detections of avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy cows.
Federal and state health authorities are actively investigating the outbreak and have emphasized that the risk to the general public is low.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have seldom been transmitted from person to person.
However, individuals with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) face a higher risk of infection.
While the general risk to the public is considered low, the state health department has advised health care providers to be vigilant about the signs and symptoms of bird flu, especially among those who have regular contact with animals.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the discovery of the highly contagious pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) in unpasteurized clinical samples of milk from sick cows at two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, along with a swab from a dairy cow in Texas. Officials are investigating an illness primarily affecting older dairy cows in these states, as well as in New Mexico.
The source of the infection is believed to be wild migratory birds.
Bird flu, caused by a family of flu viruses primarily transmitted among birds, is classified into two groups: low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI, often found in wild birds) and HPAI (mostly in domestic poultry).
LPAI viruses typically cause mild or no disease, while HPAI can lead to severe disease and high mortality rates in infected birds.
Symptoms of bird flu may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, eye redness (conjunctivitis), difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and seizures.
In some cases, infected individuals may also experience conjunctivitis.
Those infected with avian influenza can experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including fulminant pneumonia resulting in respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, and death.
Health care providers are advised to promptly consult their local health department upon encountering patients exhibiting symptoms who have had close contact with livestock and cattle.