Janice R. Andrews
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States reported on Friday that there was a case of avian influenza A in a person in Missouri. This case was found by the state’s yearly flu monitoring system, which is a big change in the health situation.
The person, who already had some health problems, was admitted to the hospital and given antiviral drugs to treat them. Thankfully, they were sent home and are now healing well. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is still looking into it, even though there are no instant signs of animal exposure or continued transfer from person to person.
In the U.S. this year, this is the 14th case of the H5 type of bird flu in a person. It’s also the first case where the person didn’t have any known contact with sick or infected animals. The CDC said that while the nation’s flu monitoring has been used to track other flu strains, this is the first time that H5 has been found using that method.
The H5 bird flu is common in wild birds around the world and has caused many cases in poultry. The virus has been found in wild birds and animals in Missouri before, but no recent reports of H5 infections in local cattle. In other states, however, outbreaks in milking cows have happened.
The CDC wants the public to know that, despite these changes, the risk of getting H5N1 bird flu from birds to people is still low. But the fact that the virus can move from birds to cows has made people worry about how it might be able to change even more.
To make sure everyone is safe, health officials are keeping a close eye on the situation.
