Avian influenza A/H5N1 has been confirmed in a third human case from infected cows, but the risk of an outbreak in the community remains low. The patient is from Michigan, where there have been more cases of avian flu in dairy cows than other areas. While two previous patients recovered from conjunctivitis, the new patient experienced respiratory symptoms in addition to pink eye. The patient is being treated with antiviral drugs and is showing improvement.
According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, this case is still considered mild despite the respiratory symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that this new case does not change their assessment of the risk of an avian influenza outbreak in the community. Since March, there have been 67 herds affected by the ongoing outbreak in dairy cattle across nine states.
Avian influenza A/H5N1 first appeared in 1996 but has seen a significant increase in outbreaks in birds and mammals since 2020. While there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission, millions of animals have died due to the virus. To date, there have been 463 deaths and 889 cases of H5N1 infection in humans.
The World Health Organization recommends developing vaccines against avian influenza A/H5N1 as soon as possible if a pandemic occurs. There are nearly 20 licensed influenza A/H5N1 vaccines available that can be tailored to specific strains of the virus circulating during a pandemic. However, these vaccines are not yet widely available for use outside of a pandemic situation due to high costs and limited distribution channels.
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