Bird flu: US health officials report second human case of H5N1 infection in a Michigan farmworker; details here

Health officials reported a second human case of bird flu infection in the United States on Wednesday, following the first case reported last month in Texas. 

ABC News reported, citing health officials from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), that the infected man is a Michigan farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock-infected bird flu or avian influenza. 

The Michigan dairy worker reported bird flu symptoms to local health officials, after which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the United States, was monitoring him for his exposure to infected cattle. 

The farm worker has since recovered, the MDHHS informed.

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“Two specimens were collected from the patient. An upper respiratory tract specimen collected from the worker's nose was negative for influenza virus at the state health department laboratory,” ANI reported, citing the US public health agency's press release. 

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The CDC's press release further added, “The eye specimen was sent to CDC for testing because it is one of a few labs where those specimens can be used with the CDC A(H5) test. The specimen was received by CDC, and testing results confirmed A(H5) virus infection.”

Furthermore, the CDC retested the nasal specimen of the infected farmworker and reported it to be negative for influenza. It is noteworthy that the designation of the influenza virus neuraminidase (the N in the subtype) is pending genetic sequencing at the CDC while attempts are underway. 

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The earlier human case of bird flu in the United States was reported in April. This case was reported in Texas and was also associated with cattle, ABC News reported. The infected person, who worked directly with sick cattle, reported eye redness as the only symptom.  

Only three cases of bird flu have been reported across the US so far, including the recent Michigan case. According to MDHHS and the CDC, the risk of catching bird flu remains low.

Chief medical executive at MDHHS, Dr Natasha Bagdasarian, said, “Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan.”

(With ANI inputs)