CDC Confirms First US Child H5N1 Bird Flu Case in California; No Evidence of Human Transmission

Nov 22, 2024, 08:32 PM

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that a child in California has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, marking the first reported avian influenza H5 virus infection in a child in the United States. The child, from Alameda County, had mild symptoms, received antiviral treatment, and is recovering at home. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, and household members tested negative for the virus. Health officials are offering checks and preventive treatment to exposed contacts at the child's day-care center. According to the CDC, the child had no known exposure to infected animals or poultry. The public health risk assessment remains low, but the CDC advises people to avoid contact with sick or dead animals, including wild birds, poultry, cows, and other wild animals. This case brings the total number of human H5N1 infections in the US to 55 in 2024, with 29 of those in California.