US CDC confirms H5N1 bird flu in a child in California

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(Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed the country’s first case of H5N1 bird flu infection in a child, who experienced mild symptoms and is recovering from their illness.

California’s public health department had reported the case on Tuesday, but said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus. The child’s family members tested negative.

The CDC affirmed that currently there was no evidence of person-to-person spread of H5N1 bird flu from this child to others, but said it will continue contact tracing.

The agency said the child received flu antivirals and low levels of viral material were found in the initial specimen.

A follow-up test of the child several days later was negative for bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses, it added.

So far, there has been no person-to-person spread associated with any of the H5N1 bird flu cases reported in the United States, the CDC said. The agency maintained the risk for the general public remains low.

Including this child’s case, 55 human cases of H5 bird flu have now been reported in the country this year, with 29 in California, according to the CDC.

Most U.S. bird flu cases have occurred among farm workers in contact with poultry or cows that were infected with the virus.

Because bird flu viruses can mutate and gain the ability to spread easily between people, California public health officials have previously said they are monitoring animal and human infections carefully.

The CDC and state departments have urged residents to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)