The first severe case of human bird flu in the United States has been detected, with the virus showing mutations that could make it more transmissible to humans.
The virus in the first severe human bird flu case in the United States was found to have mutated, likely making it more transmissible to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) said. The patient, who was hospitalized earlier this month, was likely infected after being exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock in Louisiana, the CDC said. A genetic analysis of samples from the patient found mutations in the virus that weren't found in the birds.
'The changes observed were likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease rather than primarily transmitted at the time of infection,' the CDC said this week. The agency called the mutations 'concerning' and 'a reminder that A(H5N1) viruses can develop changes during the clinical course of a human infection.' But it said the case would be more concerning if the mutations had been found in the birds or at an earlier stage of infection when the patient is more likely to unknowingly spread the virus. While the Louisiana patient is the first person in the U.S. to contract a severe case of bird flu, more than 60 milder cases have been reported this year. Meanwhile, a big cat sanctuary in Washington recently suffered 'significant losses' among its animals after a bird flu outbreak.
BIRD FLU MUTATIONS TRANSMISSION CDC HUMAN CASES
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