Missouri health worker shows symptoms after bird flu exposure, say US officials

A Missouri health worker exposed to a bird flu patient is now showing symptoms, according to US officials. The worker had contact with an infected individual, raising concerns about possible human transmission of the virus. Health authorities are monitoring the situation closely, emphasizing the need for precautionary measures to prevent further spread of the avian influenza.

A second Missouri healthcare worker who had been in contact with a bird flu-infected patient developed mild respiratory symptoms but was not tested for the virus, according to U.S. officials on Friday. Officials reported that the number of people who had contact with the Missouri bird flu patient and later developed symptoms has risen to three, all of whom have since recovered. The two additional cases involve a healthcare worker who tested negative for influenza and a household member who exhibited symptoms simultaneously with the hospitalized patient but was never tested.

In contrast to previous U.S. bird flu cases, the Missouri patient had no known exposure to infected animals, prompting concerns that the virus found in dairy cattle may have mutated to spread more easily among humans. During a Sept. 12 briefing, CDC officials stated they were unable to confirm whether the Missouri case was linked to the virus infecting U.S. dairy cattle. Missouri is spearheading the investigation into the state's bird flu cases, with remote support from the CDC.

Missouri health officials stated in an email that they are considering blood tests to detect antibodies indicating prior bird flu exposure. The CDC also mentioned that serologic testing would be offered to the second healthcare worker. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasized the importance of the blood test results. She stated that serology results are necessary to determine if this indicates H5 transmission, noting that high COVID-19 activity in August made it easy to confuse the symptoms.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert from the University of Minnesota, suggested the symptoms could be caused by "any number of respiratory illnesses." The confirmed Missouri case involved a patient admitted to the hospital with pre-existing health conditions, who was tested for influenza as part of the diagnostic process. It remains uncertain whether the patient's symptoms were due to their underlying conditions or the flu.

The Missouri case marked the 14th bird flu diagnosis in the U.S. this year, with the previous 13 cases involving farm workers connected to bird flu outbreaks on poultry or dairy farms. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bird flu has affected over 200 dairy herds in 14 states since March.

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Source: Reuters‍