A Wyoming resident has been hospitalized with the bird flu, the state’s first human case and the third U.S. hospitalization.
U.S. health authorities said Friday that Wyoming has identified its first human case of the H5N1 bird flu, making it the third confirmed instance of hospitalization related to the avian influenza virus in the United States.
The Wyoming Department of Health
said on Feb. 14 that a female resident of Wyoming’s Platte County had contracted the virus and was admitted to a health care facility in neighboring Colorado, where she is undergoing treatment.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming’s state health officer, said in a statement that the hospitalized woman had a condition that make people more vulnerable to illness and was likely exposed to the virus through direct contact with an infected poultry flock at her home.
“While this is a significant development as bird flu activity is monitored in Wyoming and across the country, it is not something we believe requires a high level of concern among most Wyoming residents,” Harrist said.
Since last April, bird flu has infected almost 70 people across the United States, leading to one fatality. Most cases have been linked to farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cattle. The sole death was reported in Louisiana late last year, with officials stating that the individual was over 65 and had underlying health issues.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
maintains that the risk of infection to the general public is low. Those at greatest risk of contracting the virus are people with job-related or recreational exposure to infected birds or animals.
While human infections are low, nearly 160 million birds in the United States—spanning backyard and commercial flocks—have been infected by bird flu since the outbreak began in February 2022,
according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Data released by the CDC on Feb. 13 suggest that bird flu may have spread unnoticed in both animals and humans. A
study examining 150 cow veterinarians through blood testing found that three had developed antibodies against bird flu, indicating previous infection. However, none of the veterinarians experienced any symptoms, according to the CDC.
“These findings suggest the possible benefit of systematic surveillance for rapid identification of [the bird flu] virus in dairy cattle, milk, and humans who are exposed to cattle to ensure appropriate hazard assessments,” the CDC article said.
Wyoming’s human infection with the bird flu came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
gave a conditional approval to animal healthcare company Zoetis to use its flu vaccine in poultry.
