Is Bird Flu Spreading in People? Without Blood Test Results, Officials Can’t Say
Seven People Develop Symptoms After Contact with Bird Flu Patient
A total of seven people who were in close contact with a bird flu patient in Missouri developed symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, but it remains unclear whether these represent cases of human-to-human spread of the virus.
Antibody Blood Test Results Needed to Confirm Infection
Antibody blood test results, which will come back later this month, officials said, are needed to answer that question. Since most of the seven people weren’t tested for bird flu, it’s not yet known whether any of them were infected with the virus or another pathogen.
The Missouri Patient and Hospital Protocols
The Missouri patient, who didn’t have known contact with poultry or dairy cows, was hospitalized in August with underlying medical conditions.
Retroactive Tracking and Identification of Exposed Healthcare Workers
On a call with reporters Friday, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said officials were able to retroactively track the patient’s movements during their time in the hospital in August and identify health care workers who were exposed and potentially at risk.
Testing and Investigation
After the patient was hospitalized, Daskalaskis said, doctors tested the individual for influenza, a result that came back positive, and gave the patient Tamiflu. After the positive flu result, health care workers started using more personal protective gear around the patient.
Investigation Findings and Uncertainties
Separately, as part of routine flu surveillance and not because doctors suspected anything unusual in the patient’s case, the hospital sent the patient’s flu sample to be tested for H5, which is the bird flu virus strain.
Healthcare Workers’ Symptoms and Risk of Infection
The positive H5 result triggered the investigation. Officials found that during the patient’s time at the hospital, 112 health care workers had interacted with them. Six developed respiratory symptoms. The other close contact who developed symptoms was a household contact. All have recovered.
Higher Risk Interactions and Lack of Information
Among the 112 workers, 18 were considered to have had higher risk interactions because they occurred before the patient tested positive for flu and therefore before “droplet precautions” were taken to protect workers from infection, Daskalaskis said.
Expert Analysis and Concerns
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that even if the health care workers interacted with the patient after precautions were in place, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that they were infected with bird flu. The virus can be transmitted through aerosols, particles smaller than droplets that can suspend the air for long periods of time.
Lack of Information and Speculation
Osterholm said he would be “very surprised,” however, if any of the sick health care workers had bird flu, given that officials had a very hard time getting viable virus from the patient.
Uncertainties and Future Investigation
One of the sick health workers tested negative for influenza, Daskalakis said, suggesting that their symptoms weren’t related to bird flu. Blood tests, however, will need to help rule out the remaining five health workers as their symptoms were only discovered after the investigation began.
Timing and Confirmation of Infection
Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, said that while the investigation’s findings shed more light on the patient’s interactions with health care workers, there are still unanswered questions about those who became ill.
Conclusion
The investigation is ongoing, and officials are waiting for the blood test results to confirm whether the health care workers were infected with bird flu. The lack of information has led to speculation and concern, but experts emphasize the need for confirmation before drawing conclusions.
FAQs
* What is the bird flu virus?
+ The bird flu virus, also known as H5N1, is a type of influenza virus that affects birds and can be transmitted to humans.
* How many cases of bird flu have been reported in humans?
+ As of Thursday, there have been 16 cases of bird flu reported in humans, including two cases in California dairy workers.
* What is the current situation with bird flu in the United States?
+ The H5N1 bird flu outbreak in dairy cows has infected 254 herds across 14 states as of Thursday.
* Can bird flu be transmitted from person to person?
+ Yes, bird flu can be transmitted through aerosols, particles smaller than droplets that can suspend the air for long periods of time. However, the virus is not highly contagious and requires close contact with an infected person to spread.
