A rare human case of bird flu has been recorded in Texas after a person came into contact with animals that were suspected of having the virus.
The announcement comes days after government authorities reported that the virus has spread to dairy cattle in several states, including Texas.
Bird Flu Infection In Humans
The Texas Department of State Health Services stated that the patient's main symptom was eye irritation.
The person, who has not been identified, was tested late last week, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the results over the weekend.
The person is now being treated with the antiviral medication oseltamivir, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can treat influenza A, B, and swine flu.
"This person has a very mild case - just conjunctivitis, which is pinkeye. That's important to emphasize because it's not in the lungs, it's not pneumonia, which would make it easier to transmit from person to person," Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News.
Human cases of bird flu, also known as H5N1, have been linked to a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.
According to a health advisory distributed to clinicians, the signs and symptoms of avian flu in humans are identical to those of the common flu.
They include a fever of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit or a feverish sensation, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headaches, exhaustion, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. What distinguishes it from the seasonal flu is eye redness, sometimes known as conjunctivitis.
H5N1 was first discovered in 1996, but the current highly pathogenic outbreak began in 2020 across Europe. Since then, the virus has spread over the world, with outbreaks peaking around bird migrations in the autumn and spring.
As of March 27, the virus had infected over 82 million farmed birds in the United States. Overall, this is the most serious avian flu outbreak in the country's history.
According to the CDC, this is only the second time a person in the United States has contracted the bird flu.
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Climate Change Accelerate Spread of Avian Flu
While the virus is most adapted for infecting birds, it has the potential to change and spread to other species, including mammals.
Scientists are still trying to figure out what's causing this outbreak and how to stop it, but a new study suggests that climate change and environmental damage may be accelerating the spread of avian flu and a range of other animal-borne illnesses.
Climate change is disrupting seasonal patterns and affecting animal migrations. According to the CDC and a new study, shifting migration patterns for birds can add to the severity and spread of avian flu.
For example, climate change is moving certain birds' winter ranges toward the poles, while spring migrations are occurring sooner as temperatures rise.
This can enhance the likelihood of "virus reassortment," or the interchange of viral genetic material, if the species interacts with bird populations or other species with which it has previously had little overlap.
Scientists are still figuring out the link between climate change and bird flu. However, it is obvious that the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has "moved outside the bounds of its typical seasons," said Zoya Teirstein.
A growing body of evidence indicates that climate change is accelerating the development of a variety of zoonotic diseases, including the West Nile virus and malaria.
Furthermore, people are progressively intruding on wild animal habitats through deforestation and industrialization, potentially exposing us to the diseases that these animals carry.
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