Missouri patient tests positive for bird flu despite no known exposure to animals

A hospitalized patient in Missouri was infected with bird flu despite having no known contact with dairy cows or other animals linked to an ongoing outbreak, health officials said Friday.

This is the 14th person in the US to be sickened by bird flu since March, when the virus was discovered in cows after infecting wild birds and mammals worldwide. One more person was infected in 2022.

The risk to the general public remains low, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. No unusual flu activity has been observed in the U.S., including in Missouri, officials said.

The latest case was confirmed after the person, an adult, was hospitalized on Aug. 22 with other medical conditions, officials with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement.

The person tested positive for influenza A, and CDC officials later confirmed it was bird flu. The person was given antiviral medication and has since recovered and gone home, health officials said. It is not clear whether the hospitalization was caused by the bird flu infection or by the person’s existing health problems, said Lisa Cox, a spokesperson for the Missouri Health Department.

Health officials have not released the person’s name, age or hometown. No close contacts of the person have been infected, CDC officials said.

The case raises questions about how the person was exposed to the virus. All previous US infections occurred among people who worked around cows and poultry.

Bird flu has been diagnosed in nearly 200 dairy farms in 14 states, but not in Missouri, according to the Department of Agriculture. Bird flu has also been found in commercial flocks, backyard flocks and in wild birds. The person did not report drinking raw milk, which can contain a live virus, Cox said.

The investigation continues, officials say.

It is the first case discovered through routine flu surveillance rather than through targeted efforts to identify people infected with bird flu through exposure to infected cows and poultry, officials said.

© 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.