WASHINGTON: A case of H5 bird flu has been confirmed in a man in the US state of Colorado, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
This man had direct exposure to poultry and the culling of birds with presumptive H5N1 bird flu.
“This is the second human case associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant, and the first case in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement on Thursday.
The CDC also said it’s possible that the detection was a result of surface contamination.
“This one H5-positive human case does not change the human health risk assessment,” the CDC said. “CDC is taking routine preparedness and prevention measures, which includes an existing candidate vaccine virus that could be used to make vaccine for people if one were needed.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it has been monitoring and testing people exposed to poultry and wild birds infected with avian flu, also known as H5N1 flu.
Earlier this week, a test revealed the presence of the influenza A (H5) virus in a single nasal specimen from a person who was working on a farm with infected poultry. CDC confirmed the result on April 27.
“Because the person was in close contact with infected poultry, the virus may have been present in the person’s nose without causing infection,” the Colorado Department of Public Health said.
The adult male, who is younger than 40, is largely asymptomatic, reporting only fatigue. He is now isolating and receiving the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir (tamiflu) per CDC guidance. Back in February, the avian flu was first detected in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana. This was the first case of infection in the US since 2020. (ANI)
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