TL;DR:
- A child in Alameda County, California becomes the first confirmed pediatric case of H5N1 bird flu in the US, showing mild symptoms and recovering after antiviral treatment.
- The infected child had no known contact with infected animals, tested negative after 4 days, and showed no evidence of human-to-human transmission despite household members having similar symptoms.
- California is experiencing a significant outbreak with 29 of the total 55 US bird flu cases this year, including 402 infected dairy herds since August 2024.
- While the CDC maintains the general public risk remains low, the case was detected through routine surveillance, marking the second US bird flu case identified through this monitoring program.
A child in Alameda County, California has become the first confirmed pediatric case of bird flu in the United States, marking a significant development in the ongoing spread of avian influenza across the country.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday that the child tested positive for avian influenza A (H5N1). The young patient, whose age remains undisclosed, experienced mild respiratory symptoms and is now recovering at home after receiving antiviral treatment.
Health officials report that subsequent testing of the child four days later came back negative for bird flu, though positive for common respiratory viruses. The source of infection remains under investigation, as the child had no known direct contact with infected animals. Officials are exploring possible exposure to wild birds.
While household members reported similar symptoms, they all tested negative for bird flu, though some showed positive results for the same respiratory viruses as the child. The CDC emphasizes there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission in this case.
This case brings the total number of H5N1 infections in the United States to 55 this year, with 29 cases in California alone. The state has been particularly affected by the outbreak, with 402 infected dairy herds detected since August 2024, representing 65% of the 616 affected herds across 15 states.
The case was identified through California’s influenza surveillance system, marking the second U.S. bird flu case detected through this monitoring program. Despite this development, public health officials maintain that the risk to the general public remains low, though individuals who work with or are exposed to infected animals face higher risk.
The virus can cause various symptoms including cough, sore throat, fever, and in severe cases, breathing difficulties. California has responded to the growing concern by distributing protective equipment to dairy farms and workers, while also providing 5,000 additional seasonal flu vaccines to dairy workers in the Central Valley.
This development comes as California continues to battle widespread outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry, a situation that has persisted since 2022. The state’s health authorities are actively monitoring the situation while maintaining enhanced surveillance measures to detect any additional cases.
Source: CBS News
