The first human case of bird flu in
Texas also appears to be the first in the country linked to direct exposure to dairy cattle, the Texas Department of State Heath Services reported Monday. Avian influenza A (H5N1) was identified in someone who was exposed to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with avian influenza, according to DSHS. There have been no reports of person-to-person transmission. The agency added that initial testing shows the virus has not changed in a way that would make it more likely to spread among humans and the risk to the general public is low. The CDC tested the patient last week after the person reported having eye inflammation, their only symptom, which is being treated by the antiviral drug oseltamivir. This is the second human case of H5N1 ever reported in the U.S. but the first linked to cattle. In March, U.S. officials said milk from dairy cows in the Texas Panhandle and Kansas tested positive for bird flu. Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows in those states and in New
Mexico, causing decreased lactation and low appetite. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the commercial milk supply is safe. Dairies are required to only allow milk from healthy animals to enter the food supply, and milk from the sick animals is being diverted or destroyed. Pasteurization also kills viruses and other bacteria, and the process is required for milk sold through interstate commerce, the agency said. "At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health," the USDA said in a statement in March. At the state level, DSHS said it's providing guidance to affected dairies about how to minimize workers' exposure and how people who work with sick cattle can monitor for flu-like symptoms and get tested. People who have these infections can have symptoms that range from mild, such as eye infection and upper respiratory issues, to severe, such as pneumonia and death. The Associated Press contributed to this report.