Washington, April 29 (IANS) The US has confirmed the first known human case of H5 bird flu in a person in the state of Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced.
The person tested positive for the avian influenza A (H5) virus and was involved in the culling of poultry presumed to have had H5N1 bird flu, Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC as saying on Thursday.
The patient reported fatigue for a few days as the only symptom and has since recovered.
According to the CDC, the patient is being isolated and treated with the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir.
"This case does not change the human risk assessment for the general public, which CDC considers to be low," the health agency said.
CDC has been monitoring for illness among people exposed to H5N1 virus-infected birds since these outbreaks were detected in wild birds and poultry since late 2021.
To date, H5N1 viruses have been found in commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states, according to the CDC.
The agency has tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposure to H5N1 virus-infected birds and this is the only human case that has been found to date.
It is the second human case worldwide associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant.
The first case was reported in Britain in December 2021.
The news is the first clear indication from the Biden administration that it is preparing to ease travel restrictions first imposed in March 2020, at the outset of the pandemic. Details, however, remain in short supply.
The outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in the southern province of Fujian has become a case of huge concern for the Chinese authorities. The number of cases is increasing at a rapid speed while the authorities are struggling to contain new infections.
One study tracked over 600,000 COVID-19 cases in 13 states from April through mid-July. As delta surged in early summer, those who were unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He had been injured in a shootout between a passenger in his car and the teenager who was also injured in the exchange of fire and remained hospitalised, the station said.
The searing parallels that bookend the two decades — shaken commanders-in-chief promising retribution for a devastating suicide attack; triumphant Taliban militants in Afghanistan and a military transport fleeing Kabul — might suggest little has changed. Of course, since Sept. 11, virtually everything has.
Mu, also known as B.1.621, was first identified from Colombia in January this year. Infections from Mu have since been recorded in South America and Europe. Based on the latest round of assessments, B.1.621 was classified as a VOI on 30 August 2021 and given the WHO label "Mu".
