A Missouri resident has been diagnosed with bird flu, marking the first case in the United States where the patient had no known contact with animals, according to a recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The adult patient, who was admitted to the hospital on August 22, has since recovered. This case has heightened national concern about the virus, despite the CDC’s reassurance that the risk to the general public remains low.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, expressed the need for a comprehensive investigation to determine how the patient contracted the infection. This case is unique as it is the first instance of the disease being contracted without any known contact with poultry or dairy animals.
The Missouri patient is the 14th person in the U.S. to contract the H5N1 Bird Flu this year. However, the virus has been more widespread among animals, with at least 196 herds of dairy cows in 14 states experiencing confirmed outbreaks since the first report in March, according to CDC data.
The virus has also been confirmed in poultry in 48 states. While Missouri has reported outbreaks among cattle, both commercial and backyard poultry flocks have also contracted the virus. Despite these outbreaks, there is currently no evidence that this strain of bird flu is spreading from person to person.
The CDC plans to study the sample from the Missouri patient in the laboratory to determine if the virus has mutated, which could potentially make human-to-human transmission easier. The results of this investigation will be crucial, especially considering the absence of any apparent animal exposure in this case.
Missouri health officials have reported no unusual influenza activity among residents, including no increase in emergency room visits or laboratory detection of human flu in the state. A sample from the infected patient was sent from the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory to the CDC for further testing.
The patient, who has pre-existing health conditions, has been discharged from the hospital and is currently recovering at home. No transmission of the virus has been identified among the patient’s close contacts.