Human case of H5N1 virus Reported; Know Where

Insight Bureau: The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Thursday that the United States detected its first known human case afflicted with the H5 bird flu.

H5N1 is a strain of Influenza virus which primarily affects birds and in rare occasions has been seen in humans.

Since the CDC started tracking for symptoms in humans who had been exposed to the virus, in late 2021, the H5N1 viruses have been noted in backyard and commercial birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states.

More than 2500 such people have been monitored and none other than this one case has been found till date.

The person who was diagnosed positive for the virus reportedly worked in culling out poultry, they complained of fatigue for a few days and that was the only physical symptom. They were isolated and were given the Influenza antiviral drug Oseltamivir and has since recovered. 

This is the 2nd case of a human reported to be infected with the H5N1 virus followed by one patient in Britain in December 2021.

The CDC considers the human risk assessment for the virus to be low for the general public.

The H3N8 virus is another strain of Influenza A type bird flu and the first known human patient of this virus was detected in China in a 4 year old boy some days back who lived in an area populated by wild ducks and a family that raised chickens. He was admitted earlier this month on account of fever and other symptoms. People in contact with the boy tested negative. 

The National Health Commission (NHC) of China has reported that there is low risk of large scale transmission of this strain in humans.