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9mo ago

Second Missouri Health Worker Develops Symptoms After Contact with Bird Flu Patient

The CDC investigates potential human-to-human transmission as three contacts of the infected patient recover from mild symptoms.

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This Transmission Electron Micrograph Tem, Taken At A Magnification Of 108,000X, Revealed The Ultrastructural Details Of Two Avian Influenza A H5N1 Virions, A Type Of Bird Flu Virus, Which Is A Subtype Of Avian Influenza A. At This Magnification, One May Note The Stippled Appearance Of The Roughened Surface Of The Proteinaceous Coat Encasing Each Virion. Although This Virus Does Not Typically Infect Humans, In 1997, The First Instance Of Direct Bird To Human Spread Of Influenza A H5N1 Virus Was Documented During An Outbreak Of Avian Influenza Among Poultry In Hong Kong. The Virus Caused Severe Respiratory Illness In 18 People, Of Whom, 6 Had Died. Since That Time, There Have Been Other Instances Of H5N1 Infection Among Humans. During August To October, 2004, Sporadic Human Cases Of Avian Influenza A H5N1 Were Reported In Vietnam And Thailand. Since December, 2004, A Resurgence Of Poultry Outbreaks And Human Cases Has Been Reported In Vietnam. On February 2, 2005, The First Of Four Human Cases Of H5N1 Infection From Cambodia Was Reported. On July 21, 2005, The First Human Case Of H5N1 In Indonesia Was Reported, And Since Then Indonesia Has Continued To Report Human Cases In August, September, And October, 2005. (Photo By BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images)
In this March 16, 2009 photo, a cow is seen in a barn on Darrell Kraus' dairy farm Monday, March 16, 2009, in Barnhart, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
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Overview

  • A second healthcare worker in Missouri who had contact with a bird flu patient developed mild respiratory symptoms but was not tested for the virus.
  • Three individuals who were in contact with the infected patient exhibited symptoms; all have since recovered.
  • The Missouri patient, who had no known contact with infected animals, was hospitalized in August and tested positive for H5N1 bird flu.
  • The CDC is conducting serologic testing to determine if the contacts were infected with bird flu, although results may take several weeks.
  • Health officials are concerned about the possibility of human-to-human transmission, particularly since the infections occurred outside of flu season.