The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert on Friday, notifying clinicians, state health departments, and the public of a case of avian influenza in an individual who had contact with dairy cows suspected to be infected with the virus.
The affected individual, a farm worker from Texas, was reported to have been infected on April 1.
This marks the second case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, identified in a person in the United States.
This case follows a 2022 incident in Colorado and occurs as the virus is expanding to infect new mammalian species, including dairy cattle, for the first time.
To mitigate the risk of infection from the virus, the CDC advises the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, antiviral treatment, patient investigations, and monitoring of individuals who have been exposed to sick or deceased wild and domestic animals, as well as livestock suspected of being infected with the virus.
Earlier this week, the CDC affirmed that the infection does not alter the risk assessment for the U.S. general public regarding H5N1 bird flu, which it deems to be low. According to the state's health department, the sole symptom experienced by the patient from Texas was eye inflammation.
