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LA County reports its first human case of bird flu
Dairy cows at a farm on July 05, 2022 in Visalia, California.
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Topline:
The first Los Angeles County case of human bird flu is here, according to health officials, but the overall risk to the public remains low.
What happened: The person was exposed to H5N1 through infected livestock at a worksite. They’ve had mild symptoms and are recovering at home, according to the public health department. No other infections have been found in connection with this case so far.
Why this matters: While there still hasn’t been any person-to-person spread, California’s had half of the nation’s bird flu cases. It comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency over the situation as more cows tested positive for bird flu in other parts of the state. Roughly two-thirds of California dairies have had infected livestock, including four Southern California dairies a couple weeks ago. Bird flu has also been found in L.A. County cats.
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What you should know: While most people don’t get bird flu, you’ll want to take extra precautions to prevent exposure if you work closely with animals. Touching dead animals, their feces, or surfaces that are contaminated with water or raw milk could expose you to H5N1. Bird flu symptoms in humans have mostly been mild and include eye redness, fever and diarrhea. The department recommends that anyone possibly exposed should contact them or their health care provider.
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