US confirms third human bird flu case tied to dairy outbreak

Los Angeles: A second human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5) virus infection has been identified in the state of Michigan, marking the third human case associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cows, US health authorities said on Thursday.

The new case is a dairy farm worker with exposure to infected cows, probably resulting from cow-to-person spread, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is the first human case of H5 in the United States to report more typical symptoms of acute respiratory illness associated with influenza virus infection, including A (H5N1) viruses, according to the CDC.

The CDC continues to closely monitor available data from influenza surveillance systems, particularly in affected states, and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including no increase in emergency room visits for influenza and no increase in laboratory detection of human influenza cases.

The risk for the US general public who do not have exposure to infected animals remains low, said the CDC.

However, this development underscores the importance of recommended precautions in people with exposure to infected or potentially infected animals, according to the CDC.

People with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals, or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other infected animals, are at greater risk of infection and should take precautions, said the CDC.

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