BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM

A person in Missouri has been diagnosed with bird flu, but has had no known contact with animals. This the first case of the virus in a human in the U.S. this year that is not linked to farm work. There have been 14 human cases of the virus since this spring, but all the patients except the one previously mentioned, had been linked to sick poultry or cows. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the patient from Missouri was hospitalized and has since recovered and been discharged. It does not appear that any of the patient’s close contacts had been affected by the virus. The CDC reports that at least 196 cattle herds and 56 poultry flocks have been affected across the U.S. Human cases have been reported in Texas, Michigan, and Colorado. 

There are no known bird flu outbreaks in Missouri cattle, but there have been flocks of backyard and commercial poultry affected by the virus in the state. Bird flu has also been detected in wild birds in Missouri in previous years. 

The CDC still maintains a low risk assessment of bird flu for the general public and recommends people avoid having contact with sick or dead animals – wild or domesticated. The CDC also advises against drinking raw milk, however, adds that pasteurized milk is safe to drink as the process of pasteurization kills the virus.