Health authorities announced on Wednesday the first case of severe illness linked to bird flu in the United States, prompting California’s governor to declare a state of emergency as the virus spreads among dairy cattle within the state.
A patient in Louisiana is currently hospitalized in critical condition due to severe respiratory issues stemming from a bird flu infection, according to state health officials. The individual, who is over 65 years old and has pre-existing health conditions, had interacted with sick and deceased birds from a backyard flock.
This case marks the first human instance in the U.S. associated with exposure to backyard birds, as stated by officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Since March, over 60 cases of bird flu in humans have been documented in the United States. However, the majority of these cases were mild and primarily affected farmworkers who had contact with sick poultry or dairy cattle. In two instances—a Missouri adult and a child in California—the origins of their infections remain unidentified.
CDC representatives have emphasized that the bird flu mainly impacts animal health, with a low risk to the general public. There has been no confirmed transmission of the virus between humans, according to Dr. Demetre Daskalakis from the CDC.
The case from Louisiana emerged just weeks after Canadian health officials revealed that a teenager in British Columbia was hospitalized due to a serious bird flu infection. Both cases were found to be caused by a virus strain originating from wild birds, rather than cattle.
During a press call, CDC officials did not provide information regarding any potential similarities or differences between the recent U.S. case and the Canadian case.
Meanwhile, in California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as bird flu cases appeared in dairy cows across Southern California farms. Prior to this, the virus had also been detected in the state’s Central Valley.
“This declaration is a strategic measure to ensure that government entities have the necessary resources and flexibility to respond effectively to the outbreak,” Newsom stated in an announcement.
Overall, the virus has been found in 865 dairy herds across 16 states, with close to 650 of these located in California. Last month, a recall was issued for raw milk from infected cattles after the virus was detected in samples sold in California grocery stores.
Additionally, Los Angeles County health officials reported on Wednesday that two cats died from bird flu infections after consuming the recalled raw milk.
Experts in flu research noted that the future course of the virus in humans is uncertain, but they advised individuals who are in contact with sick or deceased birds to adopt safety measures. This includes using respiratory and eye protection, as well as gloves when handling poultry.
“We might see an increase in severe disease cases in the U.S., as the frequency of cases appears to be rising,” remarked Angela Rasmussen, a virologist from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
