California well being officers have recognized a doable chicken flu case in a baby who was examined for gentle higher respiratory signs, the state Division of Public Well being introduced Tuesday.
The kid had no identified contact with an contaminated animal, the company stated, however public well being specialists are investigating a doable publicity to wild birds.
Human infections with chicken flu viruses are uncommon, and no person-to-person unfold has been detected in California or the US.
Since early October, California has reported 26 confirmed human circumstances of chicken flu, all following direct contact with contaminated dairy cows. Up to now, all have reported gentle signs—largely conjunctivitis, generally often known as pink eye — and none have been hospitalized.
State officers stated they’re working with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) to research the reason for the preliminary constructive check within the baby, and samples have been despatched to CDC for confirmatory testing.
The constructive check confirmed a low-level detection of the virus, indicating the kid was unlikely infectious to others. Different relations confirmed gentle respiratory signs, however all have been damaging for chicken flu and weren’t suspected of getting the virus in any respect, officers stated.
Repeat chicken flu testing on the kid 4 days later was damaging, and extra testing confirmed the kid was additionally constructive for respiratory viruses that might be the reason for chilly and flu signs.
Public well being officers stated that the kid attended daycare with gentle signs earlier than the check was reported as a doable chicken flu an infection. Native public well being officers have reached out to doubtlessly uncovered caregivers and households as an abundance of warning to conduct well being checks for signs and provide connections to preventive therapy and testing in the event that they develop signs.
“It is pure for folks to be involved, and we need to reinforce for folks, caregivers and households that primarily based on the data and information now we have, we do not suppose the kid was infectious – and no human-to-human unfold of chicken flu has been documented in any nation for greater than 15 years,” California Division of Public Well being Director and State Public Well being Officer Tomás Aragón stated in an announcement.
