Washington: Since the virus was first detected in dairy cattle in late March, a second human case of bird flu has been confirmed by the US officials on Wednesday. The infection of a dairy worker in Michigan is similar to the one that has existed during the outbreak of the virus and has circulated in poultry for years.
Though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the risk to the public remains low, it informed reporters on a call that it had not witnessed any evidence of human to human transmission of bird flu and that it had tested close to 40 people since March, including the Michigan worker.
All the people who were tested were connected to or had exposures on a dairy farm, the CDC said. Similar to the Texas case, the patient in Michigan only reported eye symptoms, the CDC further added. The Michigan worker had mild symptoms and had recovered, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Michigan and Texas are among nine states that have reported bird flu in dairy herds. Scientists have said they believe the outbreak is more widespread based on US Food and Drug Administration findings of H5N1 virus particles in about 20 per cent of retail milk samples.
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