Another Person Diagnosed With Bird Flu in US

Once again amid the current bird flu outbreak, a human case has been reported in the United States. This time it's a Colorado dairy farm worker who tested positive for avian influenza, Reuters reports. Three previous cases were also found in dairy farm workers, two of whom reported mild pink eye and one who reported mild respiratory symptoms. The Colorado man also reported mild pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, and received antiviral medication. All four have since recovered. Per the CDC, the risk of contracting bird flu remains low for the general public, but since March, cows at 139 farms across 12 states have contracted the virus, and those who come in contact with infected animals are at higher risk. The Colorado patient did have direct exposure to infected cows, the Denver Post reports.

Most outlets are reporting this as the fourth case of bird flu found in humans during this outbreak, but the Post puts the number at five, including in its count a poultry worker who contracted the virus in 2022 after being exposed to infected poultry at a farm. The CDC says its surveillance systems tracking flu activity in the country have not shown anything unusual, and its risk assessment for the general public has not changed, PBS reports. (More bird flu stories.)