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Third Human Bird Flu Hospitalization Confirmed in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has verified a third hospitalization related to bird flu in the United States, according to Wyoming’s Department of Health. This incident involves a woman from Wyoming who was admitted to a healthcare facility in Colorado.
The patient displayed symptoms resembling those of influenza and had underlying health conditions that could heighten susceptibility to illness. It is believed that she contracted the H5N1 virus through direct contact with an infected poultry flock at her residence.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming’s state health officer, stated, “Our staff has followed up with other people who had contact with the flock and the patient, and will continue working with state and national experts to monitor the situation carefully for Wyoming,” as referenced in an official statement.
Details on potential exposure for other individuals in Colorado remain unclear, as the state’s health department spokesperson did not provide immediate comments following inquiries.
According to the Wyoming health department, the hospitalized woman resides in Platte County, where three backyard poultry flocks were confirmed to be infected with the H5N1 virus. The Wyoming Livestock Board recently announced the infection of these flocks.
Wyoming State Veterinarian Hallie Hasel informed CBS News that the virus strain B3.13 affected the infected flocks, although it remains undetermined if the hospitalized patient in Colorado is linked to this same strain.
The CDC typically engages in research and genetic sequencing related to concerning bird flu cases, but a spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for further comment on this hospitalization.
Health specialists previously assessed that the B3.13 strain might pose a lower risk of severity for humans compared to the D1.1 strain, which was responsible for a fatality in Louisiana the previous month and the hospitalization of a child in Canada last year. The first hospitalization case in the U.S. associated with bird flu occurred in Missouri and also involved the B3.13 strain, although reports indicated that the individual was likely hospitalized for other medical issues as opposed to the virus itself.
This recent hospitalization follows a confirmation of bird flu cases in two other states, Nevada and Ohio. The patient in Nevada did not require hospitalization and exhibited only mild symptoms. However, Ohio’s health department has yet to disclose any updates on their bird flu case, despite multiple requests for information.
Additionally, on the same day, health and agricultural departments announced another recall of raw pet food linked to the spread of the virus among cats in Oregon. Another incident involved the spillover of the D1.1 virus affecting cattle in Arizona.
Prior to the confirmation of this latest case, the CDC had documented a total of 68 human cases of bird flu, primarily resulting from direct exposure to infected animals. Investigation efforts have not yet identified the source for three of these cases.
The rise in bird flu cases is occurring alongside an ongoing surge in seasonal influenza, which has reached record levels in emergency departments across the nation, surpassing peaks experienced during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Data from testing laboratories indicates that seasonal influenza variants are contributing to the current increase, rather than any major human-to-human transmission of a bird flu strain.
The CDC noted on Friday that these seasonal strains have propelled influenza levels to some of the highest figures in recent years, marking the first “high severity” season declared by the agency since 2017.
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