Person in Missouri caught H5 bird flu without animal contact
Enlarge / The influenza virus from an image produced with transmission electron microscopy. Viral diameter ranges from around 80 to 120 nm. (credit: Getty | BSIP)
A person in Missouri with no reported exposure to animals was confirmed to have been infected with H5-type bird flu, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) announced late Friday.
MDHSS reported that the person, who has underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized on August 22 and tested positive for an influenza A virus. Further testing at the state’s public health laboratory indicated that the influenza A virus was an H5-type bird flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now confirmed that finding and is carrying out further testing to determine if it is the H5N1 strain currently causing a widespread outbreak among US dairy cows.
It remains unclear if the person’s bird flu infection was the cause of the hospitalization or if the infection was discovered incidentally. The person has since recovered and was discharged from the hospital. In its announcement, MDHSS said no other information about the patient will be released to protect the person’s privacy.
