United States – While a bird flu affects dairy cows in the United States, two cases of the disease have infected dairy workers in California. These are the first human infections of bird flu that were detected in this state and they are 15th and 16 cases in United States in the current year as estimated by CDC, as reported by HealthDay.
CDC Assessment
In people with exposure to infected animals, the identification of H5 is not unusual and does not alter the agency’s risk assessment for the general public, which is still considered to be low, the CDC said in a health alert. The first and second cases of the virus in California could not be traced and this may be due to different cases of animal to humans transmission.
Symptoms and Response
The latest cases were discovered in workers who had contact with infected cattle at two different farms in California’s Central Valley. These individuals developed conjunctivitis and exhibited mild symptoms. State officials have been actively working to mitigate the spread of bird flu, with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reporting the distribution of over 340,000 respirators, 1.3 million gloves, 160,000 goggles and face shields, and 168,000 bouffant caps in the past four months to protect farm workers.
Nationwide Impact
Following its identification in dairy cows last March, more than 250 dairy herds in 14 states have been affected. The Avian influenza virus has been circulating among the wild and commercial poultry birds in United States since 2002.
Possible Clustering of Cases
In another case, a potential exposure to H5N1 in Missouri has risen to eight persons and has triggered speculations of human-to-human transmission. Upon emergency hospitalization of a patient exhibiting symptoms of bird flu last month it was ascertained that the patient had spread the virus to one member in his household and two medical workers in the hospital. The first patient had never had any contact with dairy cows.
The CDC reported that four additional health care workers in Missouri have since developed mild respiratory symptoms. If these cases are confirmed with antibody testing, it could indicate that the virus is beginning to spread among humans.
Expert Opinions
Dr. James Lawler stressed the fact that if bird flu is present among these healthcare workers, then the virus is approaching the formation of a pandemic category.
The Missouri patient, who had underlying medical conditions, was first hospitalized in August and has since recovered. The CDC is currently testing blood samples from both the Missouri patient and the household contact for antibodies indicating an H5N1 infection, although results could take several weeks, as reported by HealthDay.
Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of the clinical virology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, noted that both individuals may have contracted the virus from a shared source or potentially from each other, indicating possible human-to-human transmission. “I hope that they find there was some likely animal exposure, as the alternative is a bit concerning,” Binnicker commented.