The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first-ever case of avian influenza A(H5N1), commonly known as H5N1 bird flu, in a child in the United States.
The young patient, a resident of California, reportedly experienced mild symptoms and has since been recovering following treatment with flu antivirals.
The initial specimen collected showed low levels of the H5N1 virus, but follow-up testing several days later revealed no trace of the bird flu virus. However, the child tested positive for other common respiratory viruses, suggesting a mixed infection, according to the CDC.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has launched an extensive investigation into the potential source of the child’s exposure to H5N1. As part of this effort, all household members were tested after reporting similar symptoms.
Results confirmed that none of them were infected with the bird flu virus, though several tested positive for the same common respiratory viruses identified in the child.
While contact tracing efforts continue, there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of H5N1 in this case. To date, no human-to-human spread of H5N1 bird flu has been documented in the United States, even in the limited number of human cases reported.
According to the CDC, this case was identified through routine influenza surveillance and marks the second human H5N1 infection detected in the U.S. through these systems.
California, a hotspot for H5N1 outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry since 2022, has also been dealing with a surge of cases in dairy herds since August 2024. To date, 55 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported in the U.S. during 2024, with 29 of those cases occurring in California.
Globally, human infections with H5N1 remain rare. The CDC reassures the public that the risk of widespread transmission of H5N1 remains low.
In July, the United States government paid vaccine manufacturer Moderna $176 million to develop a new mRNA vaccine to treat bird flu.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will pay Moderna $176 million for a vaccine containing the same mRNA technology as the company’s COVID-19 vaccine.
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