The First Child in the U.S. Has Been Diagnosed With Bird Flu

Health officers on Friday confirmed fowl flu in a California baby—the primary reported case in a U.S. minor.

The kid had delicate signs, was handled with antiviral treatment and is recovering, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention stated in asserting the check outcomes. No particulars in regards to the baby have been launched, besides that they dwell in Alameda County, which incorporates Oakland, and attend day care.

The an infection brings the reported variety of U.S. fowl flu circumstances this yr to 55, together with 29 in California, the CDC stated. Most had been farmworkers who examined optimistic with delicate signs.

One exception was an grownup in Missouri who didn’t work at a farm and had no identified contact with an contaminated animal. It stays a thriller how that particular person was contaminated—well being officers have stated there was no proof of it spreading between individuals.

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A British Columbia teen additionally was not too long ago hospitalized with fowl flu, Canadian officers have stated.

H5N1 fowl flu has been spreading broadly within the U.S. amongst wild birds, poultry and numerous different animals over the previous few years.

It started spreading in U.S. dairy cattle in March. California has change into the middle of that outbreak, with 402 contaminated herds detected there since August. That’s 65% of the 616 herds confirmed with the virus in 15 states.

Officers stated they had been investigating how the kid was contaminated. California well being officers beforehand stated in a press release that they had been trying right into a “potential publicity to wild birds.”

There is no such thing as a proof fowl flu unfold from the kid to different individuals.

Folks within the kid’s family reported having related signs, however their check outcomes had been unfavorable for fowl flu. Well being officers famous the kid and the family members additionally examined optimistic for different frequent respiratory viruses.