The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert after a farm worker from Texas was infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, after coming into contact with sick dairy cows. This marks the second case of H5N1 infection in a person in the US, following a 2022 case in Colorado.
The CDC is advising clinicians, state health departments, and the public to be aware of the situation and take appropriate precautions. They recommend the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, antiviral treatment, and monitoring of individuals exposed to sick or dead animals, both wild and domesticated, that may have been infected with the virus.
Despite this case, the CDC maintains that the risk to the general public from H5N1 bird flu remains low. The Texas patient's only symptom was reported to be eye inflammation, according to the state's health department.
Efforts are underway to prevent further spread of the virus and to monitor potential cases closely.
