Infected by cows!

USA: 2nd human case of bird flu

Electron microscope images of bird flu viruses

(Bild: CDC/Erskine Palmer)

In the USA, a person has been confirmed to have contracted bird flu for the second time. The American health authority CDC announced on Monday that the person concerned had contracted the virus through contact with dairy cows.

However, the patient only suffered from reddened eyes, which could be related to conjunctivitis. He is being treated with an antiviral drug used against bird flu and is already on the road to recovery, it was reported.

CDC: Risk to population low
The CDC also stated that the risk to the US population from bird flu remains low and that the infection has no impact on the agency's risk assessment. The H5N1 avian influenza virus was recently detected not only in birds, but also in mammals such as foxes, otters and bears. These findings could mean that humans could also be at risk.

Cows tested positive for bird flu
Just a week ago, an investigation into mysterious illnesses in dairy cows in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico found highly pathogenic bird flu in tests on raw milk and nasal swabs in Kansas and Texas.

First case occurred in the USA in 2022
The first human infection in the USA occurred in the US state of Colorado in 2022; the patient affected at the time had become infected through contact with poultry.