Alarming development as Missouri patient becomes first American to catch H5N1 bird flu with no exposure to animals

In Missouri, for the first time in history, an American has been diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu without having been in contact with animals, a potentially worrying development.

They are the 14th person to be infected in the U.S. since the virus strain hit livestock earlier this year, but the first person who did not come into direct contact with an infected bird or cow.

It’s still unclear how the Missourian became infected, but experts have been warning against drinking raw milk for months over fears the virus could be transmitted to humans this way.

After the unnamed Missouri patient was admitted to the hospital on August 22, he was tested for a series of illnesses. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) reported that he had the H5N1 virus.

He had no contact with animals, recovered in hospital, was discharged and sent home.

It’s unclear what symptoms he had, but common early signs include fever, fatigue, cough, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea and shortness of breath.

Since 2022, 15 people in the US have tested positive for bird flu. Scientists have traced all of those infections back to an infected animal: a dairy cow or a bird.

According to the MDHSS, 14 of those infections, including the Missouri man, occurred this year.

This increase in cases prompted FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf to direct a Senate committee to prepare for the possibility that the virus could become an epidemic by May of this year.

He said officials were making plans to roll out our testing kits, antiviral drugs and vaccinations in case the virus mutates.

“This virus, like all viruses, mutates,” Dr. Califf told policymakers. “We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it will jump to humans.”

‘[The] “The real concern is that the virus will jump to the human lungs. In other parts of the world, that has happened, but the mortality rate there is 25 percent.”

The CDC notes that in previous cases of bird flu, human-to-human transmission has been very rare, and when it does occur, it usually spreads only among a few people.

The virus, normally found in wild birds and poultry, is infecting cows and other animals in the U.S. this year. A person can contract the virus if they get respiratory droplets or bodily fluids from a sick animal in their eyes, mouth or nose.

According to the National H5 Influenza Surveillance System, approximately 9,831 wild birds have been found with the disease in 51 jurisdictions across the U.S.

Also, 196 herds of dairy cows in 14 states have been infected with the disease.