The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected its first human case of the in Missouri.
The virus has been spreading among poultry and wild birds since 2022, but made the .
The human cases of the virus, also known as bird flu, have all been livestock workers who interact directly with cattle and poultry — until now. The Missouri case, first reported by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Friday, Sept. 6, is the first one found among the general public rather than in a livestock worker.
“The Missouri State Public Health Laboratory was sent a specimen from a patient who was hospitalized on Aug. 22. The adult patient has underlying medical conditions and tested positive for influenza A. The patient has reported no exposure to animals,” the department wrote in a news release. “The patient has recovered and was discharged home.”
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Health officials didn't release the person's name, age or hometown. No close contacts of the person have been infected, CDC officials said.
Could bird flu spread among humans?
The Missouri patient represents the 15th case of the H5 avian flu detected in humans during the current U.S. outbreak. While the case is notable for its appearance in the general public, officials say the virus is not currently spreading in the community to infect other humans.
“The risk of sustained transmission or infection among the general public remains low,” the MDSS said in its release. “There has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including no increase in emergency room visits for influenza and no increase in laboratory detection of human influenza cases in Missouri.”
Missouri hasn’t reported any instances of the avian flu in cattle during the current outbreak — but that may be because the state on cattle than neighboring states like Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska do.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires cattle to be tested for the bird flu when they’re moved across state lines, but testing guidelines when moving cattle within states is left up to each state’s discretion. As of July 22, 2024, only 18 cows had been tested in Missouri. The virus has affected , as well as over 100 million poultry birds.
While the average resident isn’t at an increased risk of getting bird flu in Missouri, regular flu season is ramping up, making it a good time to .