A fourth case of bird flu has been confirmed in the United States in recent months. The latest case involves a woman in Colorado who worked on a dairy farm and came into contact with infected cows.
Details of the Case
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the cows were infected with the H5N1 virus.
The woman developed mild eye symptoms and was treated with antiviral medication. She has since recovered.
Similar cases have previously been reported in Texas and Michigan.
Spread to Mammals
According to ntv, the bird flu virus H5N1 has increasingly spread to mammals in recent months, causing concern worldwide.
Several herds of cows have been affected in multiple US states, raising alarms among health officials.
Christian Drosten, chief virologist at Berlin’s Charité, warned of a possible pandemic.
He states that the virus has been detected in dairy herds and even in dairy products. Drosten is therefore urging the US to take decisive action and improve access to data to better understand the frequency of human infections.
CDC Response
The CDC is conducting genetic analyses to identify potential virus variants, which could impact their risk assessment for the population.
Farm workers who come into contact with infected cows are being advised to take increased precautions to prevent further spread of the virus.
