New Mexico dairy cattle positive for H5N1; Human case of bird flu detected in Texas
The bird flu that has infected cattle in four states, including New Mexico, found its way to a person in Texas, the USDA reported.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported the first case of the bird flu (H5N1) in a human on April 1. The person was reported to have contact with dairy cows that were infected with the disease.
The USDA reported that dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico had tested positive for the disease.
It was not reported where exactly in Texas the person infected was found but their primary symptom was conjunctivitis, otherwise known as pink eye.
"Avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have only rarely been transmitted from person to person. As such, the risk to the general public is believed to be low; however, people with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) have a higher risk of infection," according to the release by the Texas Department of State and Health Services.
The Texas Department of Health said the those who are exposed to infected animals are at greater risk of contraction than the average person.
"However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection," according to a USDA release.
More:USDA: Bird flu detected in dairy cattle in New Mexico, Texas and Kansas.
Bird flu detected in four states
Samples from cattle at dairy farms in Texas and Kansas were taken on March 25, 2024. Those samples revealed traces of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The bird flu was found mostly in chicken flocks as farmers in Texas reported their chickens dead. The bird flu was originally reported to have originated from migratory birds, according to a United States Department of Agriculture news release.
Texas reportedly has seven dairy farms infected with the bird flu, Kansas has two and Michigan also was reported to have one. Samples of herds in Idaho were also taken but results are pending.
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Bird flu in New Mexico
On April 1, the USDA reported the first infected herd in New Mexico. It was not reported what dairy farm specifically, the herd was from nor what county.
"Federal and state agencies continue to conduct additional testing in swabs from sick animals and in unpasteurized clinical milk samples from sick animals, as well as viral genome sequencing, to assess whether HPAI or another unrelated disease may be underlying any symptoms," said the news release.
The news release emphasized that although the people can contract the disease through animals, the current risk to the public is still low.
Although testing is being done on dairy cows, the USDA said that the disease has no risk to dairy products as it must be pasteurized.
"Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted from the commercial milk tank or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply. In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Pasteurization is required for any milk entering interstate commerce for human consumption," stated the news release.
The USDA reminded those who drink raw unpasteurized milk to keep in mind the risks that can come in light of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
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 the 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 Centers for Disease Control, LPAI viruses cause mild or no disease, while HPAI cause severe disease and high mortality rates in infected birds.
Bird flu has cost the government roughly $660 million and in recent times raised the price of eggs and poultry. At least 58 million birds were slaughtered last year to limit the spread of the virus.
Bird flu symptoms
Signs and symptoms of bird flu, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, can include:
- Fever (temperature of 100 degrees or greater), or feeling feverish or experiencing chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Eye redness (conjunctivitis)
- Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Seizures
In some cases, infected patients may also experience conjunctivitis, or redness in the eyes, the department says.
Those infected with avian influenza experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe, says the health department, explaining that reports of severe illness in humans "have included fulminant pneumonia leading to respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, and (even) death."
Health care providers have been advised to immediately consult their local health department if they come across patients who are experiencing the symptoms and have come into close contact with livestock and cattle.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.
Natalie Neysa Alund and Saman Shafiq contributed to this reporting.