Missouri reported its first confirmed case of bird flu in a person who reported no exposure to animals, the state health department said Friday.
The case brings the national total to 14 so far this year, according to federal data.
The latest case in Missouri was in an adult with underlying medical conditions, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement press release. The person was hospitalized on August 22 and has since recovered, the health department said.
“The patient has not reported any exposure to animals,” the health department said.
The information is preliminary and would require further investigation by health authorities.
Bird flu virus.
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The bird flu case, also known as H5, was originally detected through the state’s normal flu surveillance testing program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also confirmed it is a human case of the H5 subtype of influenza, the Missouri health department said.
“The risk of sustained transmission or infection among the public remains low,” the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said.
Beyond Missouri, so far this year, 10 cases of bird flu in humans have been reported in Colorado, two in Michigan and one in Texas. outbreaks in animals.
Before this year, only one case of bird flu was reported in the United States – in a poultry worker in Colorado who was infected in 2022.
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that a bird flu strain that had infected millions of birds across the United States was identified in several mammals this year, including dairy cows.
Health officials say the food supply is safe and the risk to the public is currently low.
Signs and symptoms of infection in humans often include sore throat, cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle or body aches, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps.
Infections can range from no symptoms or mild illness, such as flu-like symptoms, to more severe illness, such as pneumonia that may require hospitalization, the CDC said.