*This information is up to date as of May 22, 2024
Press releases from the CDC and the Victoria, Australia Department of Health were sent out today regarding two new cases of human H5N1 infections. Here is what we know about each case:
Michigan, USA Dairy Worker
This is the second US case this year and it also involves a dairy farm worker who had close contact with infected cattle. This patient, like the one in Texas, presented with conjunctivitis (an eye infection) as their only symptom. The patient initially tested negative for H5N1 on a nasal swab, but an eye swab tested positive for H5 confirming a type of avian flu. The N type test is still pending but it is assumed to be N1 due to the contact with infected cattle. There is no evidence of any sustained human-to-human transmission as a result of this case.
Victoria, Australia – Child Traveler
A child who returned from an overseas trip to India in March 2024 became the first known human case of H5N1 in Australia. The infection is believed to have been contracted during the trip to India, but specifics of how the child may have been infected were not disclosed. The child had a severe infection but no specific symptoms details were provided. Thankfully, the child has since made a full recovery. Contact tracing has not identified any infections among the child’s contacts.
What does this mean for us?
While these cases are unsettling to hear about on the news, they do not change the threat of H5N1 to the general population, which is still considered to be low. The CDC noted that their flu surveillance system has not detected any unusual influenza activity in people, which we would expect to see if sustained human-to-human transmission were occurring. However, given the increasing number of H5N1 cases in dairy cows, it is likely that we will see more reported human cases from exposure to infected animals.
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