An individual has been diagnosed with the bird flu in Texas after having contact with the cows presumed to be affected by the virus.
State officials confirmed the first case of bird flu in a person on Monday, April 1.
According to The New York Times, the spokesperson for the Texas Department of the State Health Service, Lara M. Anton said in an email, “We have tested around a dozen symptomatic people who work at dairies, and only one person has tested positive.”
Anton also confirmed that the infected person worked directly with the sick dairy cows.
As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the patient is being treated with an antiviral drug.
The CDC ensured that the risk to the general public is low. The agency said in a statement on Monday, “CDC is working closely with state and federal agencies, including USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and local health authorities to further investigate and closely monitor this situation.”
Last week the Department of Agriculture announced the first cases of bird flu in the dairy cows of Texas and Kansas. Later infection was also confirmed in herds in Michigan.
The cows in New Mexico and Idaho were also suggested to be infected after the preliminary testing.
