Avian Influenza Michigan: Second confirmed human case 2024

U.S. health authorities reported this Thursday that the second human case of avian influenza has been detected in the state of Michigan.

This constitutes the third infection recorded so far this year in the country, according to Efe.

The case was identified in a worker at a dairy farm in Michigan who was regularly exposed to cattle infected with avian influenza.

However, the patient works at a different dairy farm than the first worker confirmed in Michigan on May 22.

No Connection Between the Three Cases

This is the third case of avian flu in a human related to an outbreak in several U.S. states of the H5N1 virus in dairy cows.

Just last month, health authorities in Texas confirmed that a man had tested positive for avian flu.

The virus, identified as H5N1, is a subtype of avian influenza highly contagious among birds.

At the end of March, it was revealed that dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were infected with avian flu.

Days later, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed cases within a herd of dairy cows in Michigan.

They had recently been in contact with specimens from Texas.

Infections among cattle in New Mexico and Illinois have also been investigated.

The three infected individuals are dairy workers, so it remains to be seen.

The patient reported last Thursday is the first to «report symptoms more typical of an acute respiratory illness associated with influenza.»

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that so far, there is no sign that this virus has evolved.

At least not in a way that allows it to spread rapidly among people.

All three cases involve individuals directly exposed to sick cows.

This announcement adds a worrying dimension to an outbreak that has affected millions of birds and marine mammals worldwide.

Last Tuesday, the USDA confirmed the detection of H5N1 infections in several alpacas on a farm where there were infected poultry in Idaho.

Like the other two, the patient received antiviral treatment and is recovering, health authorities said.

Finally, last week the CDC stated that the circulating H5N1 virus does not have the ability to spread easily among people.