The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently confirmed the first-ever case of avian influenza A(H5N1), or H5N1 bird flu, in a child within the United States.
The patient, a young Californian, exhibited mild symptoms and has been on the road to recovery after receiving flu antiviral treatment.
According to Gateway Pundit, the initial specimen collected from the child showed low levels of the H5N1 virus. However, subsequent testing found no trace of the bird flu virus, although the child tested positive for other common respiratory viruses, indicating a mixed infection, as per the CDC.
In response to this unprecedented case, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the potential source of the child's exposure to H5N1. This included testing all household members after they reported similar symptoms. The results confirmed that none of them were infected with the bird flu virus, although several tested positive for the same common respiratory viruses found in the child.
As contact tracing efforts persist, there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission of H5N1 in this case. The CDC has stated that no human-to-human spread of H5N1 bird flu has been documented in the United States, even among the limited number of human cases reported.
This case was identified through routine influenza surveillance, marking the second human H5N1 infection detected in the U.S. through these systems. California, a hotspot for H5N1 outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry since 2022, has also been grappling with a surge of cases in dairy herds since August 2024. As of now, 55 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported in the U.S. during 2024, with 29 of those cases occurring in California.
Despite these developments, human infections with H5N1 remain rare on a global scale. The CDC continues to reassure the public that the risk of widespread transmission of H5N1 remains low.
In a proactive move, the United States government paid vaccine manufacturer Moderna $176 million in July to develop a new mRNA vaccine to treat bird flu. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will pay Moderna $176 million for a vaccine containing the same mRNA technology as the companys COVID-19 vaccine. This move underscores the government's commitment to safeguarding public health and its belief in the efficacy of mRNA technology.
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