The lone instance of human bird flu occurred in Colorado in 2022 and involved a person who had close contact with poultry.
This week, Texas officials announced that someone who had been around dairy cattle just contracted Avian flu, making it the country’s second-ever human case.
The Texas Department of State Health Services states that although it was assumed that the dairy cattle had Avian flu, the infection does not pose a threat to the commercial milk supply.
United States officials have reported that bird flu has also been detected in dairy cows in Kansas, Michigan, and New Mexico.
However, they have not suggested depopulating the herds. According to the department, pasteurization eliminates avian flu viruses, so any milk from a sick cow must be disposed of or diverted.
Conversely, bird flu on chicken farms necessitates flock culling. The biggest producer of fresh eggs announced on Tuesday that it had temporarily halted production following the discovery of bird flu in hens at a facility in Texas.
Around 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 young hens, or roughly 3.6% of the flock as a whole, were destroyed as a result, according to Cal-Maine Foods Inc. The business claimed that in order to secure production and reduce customer disruption, it is collaborating with other facilities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which confirmed the human case, said that the infection has no effect on the public’s “low” risk assessment for bird flu-related illnesses in humans.
The lone prior instance of bird flu in humans occurred in Colorado in 2022 and impacted an individual who had close contact with poultry.
According to a press release from the organization, “CDC is taking measures in case the public health risk assessment changes and continued surveillance and preparedness efforts are critical because influenza viruses constantly change. The situation is evolving, and the CDC will provide more updates as soon as new, pertinent data becomes available.”
