By MIKE STOBBE and JONEL ALECCIA, Related Press
NEW YORK (AP) — An individual in Louisiana has the primary extreme sickness brought on by hen flu within the U.S., well being officers mentioned Wednesday.
The affected person had been in touch with sick and lifeless birds in yard flocks, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention mentioned. Company officers didn’t instantly element the individual’s signs.
Earlier sicknesses within the U.S. had been delicate and the overwhelming majority had been amongst farmworkers uncovered to sick poultry or dairy cows.
This 12 months, greater than 60 hen flu infections have been reported, with over half of them in California. In two — an grownup in Missouri and a toddler in California — well being officers haven’t decided how they caught it.
The CDC confirmed the Louisiana an infection on Friday, however didn’t announce it till Wednesday. It’s additionally the primary U.S. human case linked to publicity to a yard flock, the company mentioned.
The Missouri affected person additionally was hospitalized, however for causes past simply the hen flu an infection. The Louisiana case is totally different as a result of the individual’s hospitalization is as a result of flu signs, CDC officers mentioned.
Did the Louisiana affected person have pre-existing circumstances that made her or him extra vulnerable to sickness? Is the individual on a ventilator? The CDC deferred these and different questions concerning the affected person to state well being officers, who didn’t instantly reply.
Final month, Canadian officers reported {that a} teen in British Columbia was hospitalized with a extreme case of hen flu. CDC officers didn’t reply a query about whether or not the brand new U.S. case had any similarities or variations, directing reporters to ask Louisiana officers.
Well being officers say hen flu continues to be primarily an animal well being subject, and the danger to most of the people stays low. There’s been no documented unfold of the virus from individual to individual.
The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Instructional Media Group. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.
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