A person in Texas who had direct contact with dairy cattle has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

The dairy cattle are presumed to be infected with the virus.

The positive results were reported by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend.

Previous coverage

Bird flu detected in dairy cattle in Texas, Kansas

The patient reported eye redness consistent with conjunctivitis as the only symptom and is recovering. The patient was told to isolate and is being treated with an antiviral drug for flu, according to CDC.

This is the second case of H5N1 in a human in the U.S. A previous human case occurred in 2022 in Colorado, CDC reported.

CDC: Human risk still considered low

The newly detected infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. public, which CDC considers to be low.

However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected birds or animals or to environments contaminated by infected birds or animals are at greater risk of infection, CDC stated.

USDA, Texas and Kansas reported positive HPAI detection in two dairy herds each in Texas and Kansas on March 25.

Idaho reported a positive case on March 28 on a dairy that had recently imported dairy cattle from Texas. On March 29, USDA reported a positive case on a Michigan dairy — which also had recently imported dairy cattle from Texas. The agency also reported presumptive positive tests on a dairy in New Mexico and an additional dairy in Texas.

Idaho case

Bird flu on Idaho dairy likely transmitted from cow to cow, state vet says

As of Monday, USDA has confirmed the detection of HPAI in seven dairy herds in Texas, two in Kansas, one in Michigan and one in New Mexico. The presumptive positive test results for the Idaho herd are still pending analysis at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

There is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply, as dairies are required to destroy or divert milk from any sick animals and pasteurization inactivates bacteria and viruses in milk, according to USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Transmission rare

Human illnesses with H5N1 bird flu have ranged from mild, such as eye infection and upper respiratory infection, to severe, such as pneumonia and death, according to CDC.

Egg impact

Egg producers carry on despite avian flu, cage-free regulations

Avian influenza usually infects wild birds and can spread to domestic birds and other animals.

Human infections with avian and other zoonotic influenza viruses are rare, and current viruses have not demonstrated sustained person-to-person transmission, according to the World Health Organization.

Human cases have been reported mostly from Asian countries but also from countries in Africa, the Americas and Europe, according to WHO.