Child treated for suspected bird flu in California; no known exposure to infected animals
Health officials are investigating whether a child in Northern California reportedly suffering from mild respiratory symptoms has contracted bird flu.
The child lives in Alameda County in the East Bay, where the city of Oakland is located, and tested positive for the virus despite not having any known contact with a infected animal, the California Department of Health reported Tuesday.
It's considered a “possible” case until the positive test is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state officials announced in a news release Tuesday.
The child, who state officials said has been treated, is recovering at home. Although the child had no known contact with an infected animal, public health officials said they are investigating whether they were exposed to wild birds.
The positive test showed "a low-level detection of the virus," meaning the child was not likely infectious to others, state officials reported. Repeat bird flu testing on the child four days later was negative, officials wrote, and additional testing showed the child was also positive for respiratory viruses that could be the cause of their cold and flu symptoms.
California officials said they will send specimens to the CDC for confirmatory testing.
The national public health agency is aware of the presumptive positive case of H5 avian influenza in a child, a CDC spokesperson Paste BN Wednesday, is "awaiting the specimen to test at its lab for confirmation" and will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Although human infections in the United States have been rare, according to the CDC, bird flu has infected 53 people since April.
If confirmed by the CDC, it could mark the first H5 case in a child in the United States.
The risk to the public remains low, the CDC has said.
What is bird flu?
Bird flu is a disease caused by a family of flu viruses primarily transmitted among birds.
Avian influenza viruses, according to the CDC and USDA, are classified into two groups: low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) (often seen in wild birds) and HPAI, found mostly in domestic poultry. According to the CDC, LPAI viruses cause mild or no disease, and HPAI cause severe disease and high mortality rates in infected birds.
Bird flu cost the government at least $660 million by Feb. 2023, the Associated Press reported at the time, and has raised the price of eggs and poultry. Tens of millions of birds have been slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus.
What are symptoms of bird flu?
Symptoms of bird flu include, according to the CDC:
- eye redness (conjunctivitis)
- mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms
- pneumonia requiring hospitalization
- fever (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) or feeling symptoms of a fever
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or stuff nose
- muscle or body aches
- headaches
- fatigue
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.