Fourth Human Infection of Avian Influenza in the US

Colorado Livestock Worker
"Recovered After Taking Flu Medication"

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the 3rd (local time) that a fourth case of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) through dairy cows has been reported in the United States.

According to foreign media including ABC News, the CDC stated that a livestock worker in Colorado tested positive for H5N1 on the same day.

The patient was confirmed to have had contact with cows infected with H5N1.

The patient reportedly only showed symptoms of conjunctivitis and recovered after being treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir, which is used for influenza treatment.

In the U.S., since the first report of H5N1-infected dairy cows in Texas and Kansas in March, the infection has spread to 12 states.

Additionally, in April, a Texas resident tested positive for H5N1 after contact with infected dairy cows, followed by two more cases reported in livestock workers in Michigan in May.

The CDC stated that the risk of H5N1 to the general public remains low but recommends avoiding close contact with sick or dead animals and prolonged exposure.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern that if H5N1 begins to spread among mammalian populations, the risk of transmission would increase accordingly, and the virus could evolve to enable human-to-human transmission.