NEW YORK – A person in Louisiana is the first serious illness caused by bird flu in the U.S., health officials said Wednesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.
Agency officials did not immediately provide details about the man’s symptoms.
Previous illnesses in the US were mild and most farmworkers were exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows.
This year, over 60 Bird flu infections have been reported, more than half of them in California.
In two — an adult in Missouri and a child in California — health officials have not determined how they caught it.
The CDC confirmed the Louisiana infection on Friday, but did not announce it until Wednesday.
It is also the first US human case linked to exposure to a backyard flock.
Health officials say bird flu is still primarily an animal health issue, and the risk to the general public is low.
There is no documented evidence of this virus spreading from one person to another.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
(TagstoTranslate)Health(T)US News(T)Bird Flu(T)Louisiana
