A Missouri resident had avian flu without animal exposure. The CDC announced the first human case of H5-specific avian influenza in a news release on Friday, Sept. 6.
State officials informed The New York Times that the CDC-diagnosed patient was hospitalized on Aug. 22. After receiving Tamiflu, the patient recovered and was sent home, the site stated.
The CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services revealed the first human case of bird flu in the state and the 14th in the nation this year. Missouri's seasonal flu surveillance system found the case.
The CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services revealed the first human case of bird flu in the state and the 14th in the nation this year. Missouri's seasonal flu surveillance system found the case.
The milestone case is the first bird flu case “without a known occupational exposure to sick or infected animals,” raising concerns about the virus spreading undetected among humans.
The CDC recorded all human cases in people who had contact with poultry or dairy cows, which are now experiencing a multistate bird flu outbreak.
First detected in cows in March, HPAI A (H5N1) is a bird flu virus. The CDC reported the first “likely mammal to human spread” of the virus in April.
The CDC noted that, while rare, novel influenza A cases without an animal source have occurred, including the Missouri case. “The main concern in these situations is no onward transmission.”