1st US bird flu infection in a child confirmed by CDC
Battery hens sit in a chicken shed on February 6, 2007, in Suffolk, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the first known case of H5 bird flu detected in a child in the United States.
On Friday, the CDC reported that the virus, also known as H5N1, was found in a child in California.
According to the California Department of Public Health, the child lives in Alameda County. Officials say the case was discovered after the child experienced mild symptoms and received flu antivirals.
While low levels of viral material were detected in the initial tests of the child, follow-up testing days later had come up negative for H5 bird flu but positive for other respiratory viruses, the CDC tells FOX 5.
Health officials have tested all the members of the child's household and found that all of them were negative, though the CDC says family members did report the same common respiratory virus.
"Contact tracing continues, but there is currently no evidence of person-to-person spread of H5N1 bird flu from this child to others," the CDC said in a release. "To date, there has been no person-to-person spread identified associated with any of the H5N1 bird flu cases reported in the United States."
What is H5N1 bird flu?
The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely in the U.S. among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. Its growing presence increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials say.
The first reported case of a human infected by the H5N1 bird flu was in March 2024. With the most recent case, 55 human cases of bird flu have been reported in the United States in 2024. The majority of those cases - 29 - have been found in California. No cases have been reported in Georgia.
As of Nov. 19, the virus has been detected in over 10,000 wild birds, 100 million poultry, and 600 dairy herds. Nearly every state has an outbreak in its poultry popularity, the CDC reports.
While infections are rare, humans can become infected if the virus gets into their eyes, nose or mouth or is inhaled. Most cases of human infections have come from close or lengthy unprotected contact with infected animals.
When infected, humans can experience a range from no symptoms to severe diseases like pneumonia.