Even as bird flu continues to spread among cows in the United States, health officials have reported that the strain of the H5N1 virus found in a California child is similar to a variant spread through livestock. According to reports, the patient had no knowledge of coming in contact with infected animals.

Officials say the findings are not yet definitive. Nevertheless, tests showed that this virus was very similar to viruses found in both dairy cattle and poultry, as well as to A(H5N1) viruses from previous human infections in dairy workers in California. health update The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “This case does not change CDC’s assessment of the immediate risk to the general public, which is low at this time,” the agency said.

Investigation continues for symptoms of bird flu in children

However, health officials in California say they will continue to investigate how the child contracted bird flu, was being treated with antiviral drugs and has now recovered.

Many experts believe it is unlikely that the California case is community spread. Instead, other animals that could have come into contact with the virus, such as cats, dogs or rodents, may contribute to its spread. Experts worry that the longer the virus continues to spread between humans and animals, the more likely it will mutate and be able to spread more easily between humans.

According to the CDC, 58 people nationwide have been confirmed to have bird flu so far this year; all are except one coming into contact with infected poultry or dairy cowsHowever, in the case of California, person-to-person spread of the virus was not found and all members of the child’s family tested negative.

Bird flu has been spreading in America since March

Bird flu has been spreading in poultry since 2022 and cases in dairy cows started being reported in March this year. According to reports, recently this virus was also found in pigs for the first time. Bird flu infections have been confirmed in humans – almost all agricultural workers – in seven states.

It is unclear how humans acquired the H5N1 virus.

Across the U.S., about 750 dairy herds in 16 states have been reported infected since the disease was first confirmed in dairy cows last spring. avian influenza It has been spreading in wild and domestic birds in the United States for several years.

What is avian influenza?

Experts say that bird flu virus usually spreads among birds and other animals. Sometimes humans can get bird flu from infected animals. There are several subtypes of avian flu – the most common types that spread to humans are influenza A (H5N1) and influenza A (H7N9). They are named based on the type of protein present on the surface of the virus. The outbreak expected to hit the US in 2024 is the H5 subtype of influenza A.

Signs and symptoms of bird flu include:

• Fever
• Tiredness
• cough
• muscle pain
• sore throat
• nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• stuffy and runny nose
• breathlessness
• pink eye or conjunctivitis
• These symptoms can be mild or severe. The most recent cases of bird flu in the US have resulted in pink eyes and mild respiratory symptoms.

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