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Less than a week after sick dairy cows in Texas and Kansas tested positive for bird flu, Texas officials report that a person in the state who had close contact with the infected cows has contracted the virus. did.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a news bulletin Monday that the patient “became ill following contact with a dairy cow presumed to be infected with avian influenza,” and the primary symptom was conjunctivitis, also known as red eye.
Officials said this is the first human infection of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain in Texas and the second in the United States, adding, “This is related to avian influenza A (H5N1) recently detected in dairy cows. It is believed that there is.”
What you need to know:Milk from sick cows tests positive for bird flu in two states
Risk of avian influenza to the general public
Federal and state health officials are investigating the outbreak, according to the news alert. It added that the risk to the public was low.
“The avian influenza A (H5N1) virus is rarely transmitted from person to person,” authorities said. “Therefore, while the risk to the general public is considered to be low, those who have had close contact with infected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) are at increased risk of infection.”
However, the state health department warned health care providers to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of bird flu, especially among people who have regular contact with animals.
Bird flu outbreak in dairy cows in Kansas, Texas
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that unpasteurized clinical samples of milk from sick cows at two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as swabs taken from a dairy cow in Texas, showed highly contagious disease. It was announced that a pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) has been detected. Texas.
The agency said officials, along with the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state veterinary and public health officials, are investigating the disease, which has been detected primarily in older dairy cows, in those states and New Mexico.
The Department of Agriculture said wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of the infection.
What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is a disease caused by a type of influenza virus that is primarily transmitted among birds.
According to the CDC and USDA, avian influenza viruses are divided into two groups. Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI, commonly found in wild birds) and HPAI, which is primarily found in poultry. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the LPAI virus causes mild illness or no illness at all, while HPAI causes severe illness and high mortality in infected birds.
Bird flu has cost the government about $660 million and recently caused egg and poultry prices to rise. Last year, at least 58 million birds were culled to curb the spread of the virus.
Bird flu symptoms
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, signs and symptoms of bird flu include:
- Have a fever (over 100 degrees) or feel a fever or chills
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- headache
- Malaise
- Redness of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
- diarrhea
- nausea
- vomiting
- seizure
The department said infected patients may experience conjunctivitis and red eyes in some cases.
The Ministry of Health states that people infected with bird flu experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe, and reports of severe symptoms in humans include “respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, and (even) It includes fulminant pneumonia that can lead to death.” ”
Healthcare workers are advised to immediately contact their local health department if they encounter a symptomatic patient who has had close contact with livestock or cattle.
Contributor: Natalie Neisa Alland
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on platform SheX, formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
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