• Posted September 9, 2024

Missouri Patient Hospitalized With Bird Flu Had No Known Contact With Animals

A case of bird flu has been confirmed in a Missouri resident who had no known contact with dairy cows, poultry or wild birds, U.S. health officials report.

"The patient, who was hospitalized, had underlying medical conditions, was treated with influenza antiviral medications, subsequently discharged and has recovered," the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on the case. "There is no immediate known animal exposure. No ongoing transmission among close contacts or otherwise has been identified."

"This is the 14^th human case of H5 [bird flu] reported in the United States during 2024 and the first case of H5 without a known occupational exposure to sick or infected animals," the agency noted.

Still, the risk to the general public remains low, the CDC added. No unusual flu activity has been detected in the country, including in Missouri, officials said.

The case was confirmed after the person, an adult, was hospitalized on Aug. 22, officials with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement.

It’s not clear whether the hospitalization was caused by the bird flu infection or the person’s existing health conditions, Lisa Cox, a spokesperson for the Missouri health department, told the Associated Press.

All the previous U.S. infections were among people who worked around cows and poultry, so this latest case raises concerns about disease transmission.

Bird flu has been detected in nearly 200 dairy herds in 14 states, but not in Missouri, according to the CDC. Bird flu has also been found in commercial and backyard flocks and in wild birds. The person did not report drinking raw milk, which can contain live bird flu virus, Cox noted.

This was the first bird flu case detected through routine influenza surveillance, officials noted.

More information

The CDC has more on bird flu.

SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, Sept. 6, 2024; Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, statement, July 6, 2024; Associated Press