In addition to the recent warnings about bird flu in raw milk in California, the state has also reported the first case of the virus in a child.
The case was first reported by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The child was in Alameda County, California, had mild respiratory symptoms, no history of contact with an infected animal, and was recovering at home.
“It's natural for people to be concerned, and we want to reinforce for parents, caregivers and families that based on the information and data we have, we don't think the child was infectious – and no human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years," said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón.
Details of infection
The case was identified as a result of ongoing national surveillance related to bird flu. The child had mild flu symptoms and no interactions with potentially ill animals.
However, it’s important to note that the infection remained contained to the child. The immediate family was also tested for bird flu and all tests came back negative. While some family members had more common respiratory viruses, there was no person-to-person spread of bird flu.
The CDPH also explained that the child’s test showed low levels of the bird flu specimen, which also indicates he/she isn’t likely to be contagious to others. Additionally, the follow-up test four days later came back negative for bird flu, further confirming that the child wasn’t contagious.
Despite this, the CDPH and the CDC are working together on an ongoing investigation to determine how the child became infected.
Should consumers be concerned?
While the CDPH has reached out to anyone who came into contact with the sick child, the risk of infection spreading remains low.
The CDC explained that cases like these are rare, but they do occur occasionally, and for consumers who don’t work around animals, there is a very low risk of contracting bird flu.
However, for those who do work with animals, particularly livestock or cattle, the risk of infection is higher, and the CDC encourages the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever possible.
All consumers are urged to seek medical care if they develop any related symptoms and have been in contact with wild animals.