Doctors Explain How To Spot Symptoms Of Bird Flu After First 'Severe' Human Case
Bird flu is a scary illness with a high mortality rate. But so far, infections in the U.S. have been relatively mild—until now.
A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the first severe case of bird flu in the country.
Details are scarce, but the CDC shared that the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks—meaning these were birds on their property, not commercial poultry.
“This case does not change CDC's overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public's health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low,” the CDC’s statement reads.
Bird flu has repeatedly popped up in people across the country, raising plenty of questions about symptoms and how to stay safe. Here’s what you need to know, according to an infectious disease expert.
Meet the expert: Amesh A. Adalja, MD, is an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
The CDC didn’t share information on the symptoms this particular patient has experienced. But these are common bird flu symptoms in humans, according to the CDC:
Eye redness (conjunctivitis)
Mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms
Pneumonia requiring hospitalization
Fever or feeling feverish
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuff nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
A case report from a previous infection in a dairy farm worker found that the eye redness can be so intense that the whites of the eyes turn completely red.
“Symptoms of H5N1 avian influenza in the current US outbreak related to infected poultry and dairy cattle have generally been consistent with ordinary influenza symptoms,” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “Conjunctivitis is more common with these infections, likely due to direct infection of the eye by dairy workers milking infected cows.”
Where is bird flu in the United States?
Bird flu has been detected across the country, with CDC data showing that there have been 61 confirmed cases so far. The majority of cases have been in California and Colorado, although people have been infected in Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
Can you recover from bird flu?
Yes, you can recover from bird flu. In fact, all of the other cases of bird flu in the U.S. have been classified as mild, meaning patients didn't have to be hospitalized.
The cases have been almost exclusively detected in dairy farmworkers tasked with depopulating infected poultry flocks, according to the CDC.
How can I avoid getting bird flu?
It’s important to point out that there has been no evidence of human-to-human spread of bird flu. And, if you don’t work on a farm or handle birds or cows, you’ll likely be okay.
“The exposure risk of the general public is low,” Adalja says.
But if you want to be extra cautious, you should avoid milking dairy cattle, drinking unpasteurized milk, and handling dead birds, he says.
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