Bird Flu in Texas Man Is Second Case Reported in U.S.
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The person’s only symptom was the type of eye redness typically caused by conjunctivitis, a common eye infection also called pink eye, and is currently recovering, the CDC said in a statement. They are being treated with an antiviral medication to prevent severe influenza and have been advised to isolate.
“It is still extremely rare for people to catch this virus,” says Richard Webby, PhD, the director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds. Dr. Webby is also a member of the department of host-microbe interactions at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Both human bird flu cases in the United States involved individuals who had very close contact with infected animals through their jobs, Webby says.
‘Essentially No Risk’ of Bird Flu Spreading Widely in Humans
“Right now, the vast majority of people are at essentially no risk from this virus in its current form,” Webby says. “However, people do need to be aware that the virus is in wildlife, and be a bit cautious around animals that appear sick.”
The CDC said it has been monitoring for people exposed to bird flu since outbreaks were first detected in the United States among wild birds and poultry in 2021. In humans, bird flu cases have resulted in mild symptoms like eye infections and respiratory issues, to more severe illness like pneumonia, the CDC said. Outside the United States, some human infections have been fatal.
The fact that the CDC has identified a second case of human bird flu means that these surveillance efforts are working, says William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bird Flu in Humans Still Rare, Even Though More Cases Are Being Detected
“We are looking harder and therefore finding more,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Surveillance for influenza variants now is both more intense and more sophisticated than it was even 10 years ago, so these unusual infections are better detected.”
Still, bird flu infections should continue to be rare because the virus has not acquired the capacity to spread easily from person to person, Schaffer says. “The current intensive surveillance may well detect a few more cases, but they will be rare,” he adds. “Fortunately, our current diagnostic tests and antiviral drugs remain effective in diagnosing and treating these unusual bird flu infections.”
There are two drugs that work for seasonal flu and can also be effective for bird flu, baloxavir (Xofluza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
To make the low risk of bird flu even smaller, the CDC recommends that people avoid exposure to sick or dead animals, as well as raw milk, feces, or other materials contaminated by birds or animals. In addition, people shouldn’t prepare or eat uncooked or undercooked animal products or consume unpasteurized milk or cheeses from animals suspected of having a bird flu infection, the CDC said.
There are, however, no concerns with commercially available milk because it is pasteurized, the CDC said in its statement.
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