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A person in Texas has been diagnosed with avian influenza, also known as bird flu, after exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an April 1 alert.
The patient reported eye redness consistent with conjunctivitis as the only symptom and is recovering and being treated with antiviral flu medications.
This is the second reported case of bird flu in the U.S. — the first was in 2022 in Colorado — and the first linked to an exposure to cows.
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Health officials say the overall risk of bird flu for the general public remains low, but that people with close or prolonged exposure to birds or other animals are at greater risk for infection.
Here’s what you need to know about evolving situation.
What is bird flu?
Just like humans can get infected with influenza, different versions of the virus can infect animals, including birds.
Bird flu is caused by influenza A viruses that spread among wild aquatic birds (ducks, geese, gulls, etc.) and can infect poultry (chickens and turkeys).
Sometimes bird flu can infect other animals, too, as is the case with the H5N1 strain, which has been detected in mammals such as foxes, bears, seals, mountain lions and, most recently, cows. Since March 25, cases in cattle have been confirmed in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Michigan.
Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at Mayo Clinic, told AARP that infections in mammals often happen when the animal either eats infected birds or encounters a carcass. Mammals exposed to environments with a high concentration of the virus are also susceptible to infection, Tim Uyeki, M.D., the chief medical officer of the CDC’s Influenza Division, said in an “Ask the Expert” post.
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