According to state health authorities on Friday, a person in Louisiana is in the hospital with what may be the first instance of avian flu in the state.
According to the state Department of Health’s website, the case concerns “a resident of southwestern Louisiana.” “The individual was exposed to sick and dead birds that may have been infected with the bird flu virus, H5N1.”
According to local public health experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being consulted. The patient is the second person with the virus to be admitted to a hospital in the United States.
Although Louisiana is in charge of the inquiry, the CDC “will be conducting confirmatory testing,” the agency stated in a statement to NBC News.
Since the spring, dairy cows in the United States have been infected with bird flu. The Agriculture Department reported that as of Friday, 845 dairy cows in 16 states were affected by the epidemic. California is home to the great bulk of such herds.
In an effort to better detect herd illnesses and stop their spread, the USDA last week mandated that milk be tested for avian flu.
This year, at least 60 instances of human bird flu have been identified in the United States. Farmworkers who had come into touch with infected poultry or dairy cows were the subjects of the bulk of the cases, which have occurred in California and Washington.
That figure is probably understated. There was indications of asymptomatic avian flu infections among farmworkers, according to a CDC analysis from November.
The propagation of the avian flu from person to person is not supported by any evidence. With the exception of a hospitalized patient in Missouri and a youngster in California, almost all of the individuals who have been ill had direct contact with animals.
Conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, has been the most common symptom described, and the instances have often been regarded as minor. There have been no recorded fatalities. Last month, a Canadian youngster who with avian flu became quite sick and had to be sent to the hospital.
Research on the country’s pasteurized milk supply has so far shown no evidence of the contagious avian flu virus. However, unpasteurized raw milk has been proven to contain the virus.
The Louisiana Department of Health provided advice on how to stay healthy:
- Avoid bringing sick wild animals into your house and avoid touching dead or sick animals or their droppings.
- Pets should not be near dead or ill animals or their excrement.
- Steer clear of uncooked goods from animals with a suspected or proven illness, such as raw milk or cheese that hasn’t been pasteurized.
