April 3, 2024- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), federal, and state officials confirmed that a person in Texas has tested positive for bird flu, which was confirmed April 1st, according to the CDC. The highly infectious disease is presumed to have been transmitted to the patient through dairy cattle.
The case is believed to be linked to the recent detections of bird flu among dairy cows in the U.S. On March 29, the Department of Agriculture confirmed cows on dairy farms in Texas, Kansas and Michigan had been sickened by the virus, marking the first time the disease has been found in dairy cattle.
Person-to-person transmission of bird flu viruses is very rare, however people who come into contact with infected birds or animals are at a greater risk of contracting the disease.