The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first case of an avian influenza H5N1 virus infection in a child in the United States.
Last week, health officials for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported a possible case of the H5N1 flu in a child in Alameda County. The child, whose name or age was not revealed, tested positive for the flu despite having no known contact with infected animals. Two tests were conducted---an initial test that came back positive for H5N1 and a second test that was negative for bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses.
California then contacted the CDC to investigate the potential cause of the infection in the minor and confirm the test result. On Friday, the health organization said the test did have low levels of bird flu.
Will Bird Flu Spread Among the General Public?
The CDC has noted that the risk of a spread to the general public is low. The organization also said they have not yet found any evidence of person-to-person transmission of the H5 virus.
Read Also: California Health Officials Identify Possible Human Infection of Bird Flu in Child, Source Unknown
In the press release, the CDC said the members in the child's household who showed symptoms were tested for bird flu, all of which came out negative. That said, some family members tested positive for the same respiratory virus as the minor.
Health authorities did not specify which respiratory viruses the child and the household members got.
How Many Cases of Bird Flu Have Been Recorded in the US?
As of last week, the CDC has recorded 55 human cases of H5N1 avian flu in the country, 29 of which were reported in California.
So far, all bird flu cases recorded in the country have been mild. The patients have also recovered after taking antiviral medication, ABC News reported.
Widespread outbreaks of bird flu have been detected in wild birds and domestic poultry since 2022. It was then detected in dairy herds in August of this year. To avoid infection among humans, the CDC said individuals should avoid unprotected exposure to sick animals. They should also avoid drinking or eating products containing raw milk.
