Human case of H5N1 suspected in California amid rapid dairy spread
A California dairy farm worker who had contact with H5N1-infected cows appears to have contracted the avian influenza virus, state health officials reported Thursday.
The person’s illness is reported to be mild, with the only symptom being conjunctivitis (eye redness). This echoes the experience of other H5N1 human cases in this outbreak. The person is said to be staying at home and taking an antiviral flu medication.
Testing by a local health department indicated the person was infected with the outbreak virus. The result now awaits confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
