A man in Texas has been diagnosed with H5N1 bird flu after being in close contact with infected dairy cows. This is the second confirmed case in the US, with the first case appearing in Colorado in 2022. The infection does not change the assessment of the public health risk associated with H5N1 influenza in the United States, as they have previously determined that the risk of an outbreak is low.
The patient is currently isolated and receiving treatment with antiviral drugs. While avian flu can be transmitted to humans, infections have only occurred in individuals who have had close contact with infected animals. However, the death rate of this strain of flu is high, at up to 50% compared to 3% for regular flu. Current antibiotics are effective against circulating H5N1 influenza strains, and the CDC believes that existing vaccines will also be effective if the virus mutates to spread easily in humans.
