California health officials have confirmed the state’s second human case of bird flu on Thursday mere hours after announcing the first, adding to fears of an outbreak.
The second infected person, like the first, had contact with dairy cows carrying the pathogen. Both of them have mild symptoms, including pink eye.
The cases are not linked and there is no indication that the first person transmitted the infection to the second.
Fears over the spread of bird flu are increasing as, for the first time, a patient in Missouri who had not come into contact with sick birds, cattle or other animals was diagnosed with the virus.
The second person to have been infected with bird flu, like the first, came in contact with dairy cattle carrying the pathogen
California health officials maintain that the general risk to the public remains low, as there is no indication that the virus can be transmitted from one person to another.
According to the California Department of Public Health: ‘People who interact with infected animals, like dairy or poultry farm workers, are at higher risk of getting bird flu.
‘CDPH recommends that personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as respirators (N95 masks), eye protection (face shields or safety goggles), and gloves be worn by anyone working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the bird flu virus.’
