Health officials have confirmed a second human case of bird flu infection in the United States. The infected individual, a farmworker from Michigan, had regular contact with livestock that had contracted the virus. After experiencing symptoms, the patient was tested and the results confirmed the presence of the A(H5) virus. It is important to note that the patient has since recovered from the infection.
This latest case follows an earlier human bird flu infection reported in Texas in April, which was also linked to exposure to infected cattle. To date, there have been three confirmed cases of bird flu infection in humans in the US.
Health officials, including Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive at MDHHS, have emphasized that the risk of contracting bird flu for the general public remains low. They have also commended the swift public health response in Michigan, which has involved close monitoring of the situation since bird flu was detected in poultry and dairy herds in the state.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection that primarily affects birds. While human infections are rare, they can occur through close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. Symptoms of bird flu in humans can vary but may include fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. In severe cases, the infection can lead to pneumonia and other complications.
