Louisiana Reports First H5N1 Bird Flu Case

Karmactive Staff

H5N1 is a type of influenza virus whose main target happens to birds but also has the potential to affect human beings.

Photo Source: WHO

This virus has affected other mammals too, like a mountain lion in Montana, a polar bear in Alaska, a domestic cat in California, a coyote in Washington and so on.

Photo Source: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) revealed the first case of a human affected by the flu; he has been hospitalized.

Photo Source: JC Gellidon (@jcgellidon), Unsplash

This resident of Louisiana was exposed to sick and dead birds, the primary carriers of the H5N1 bird flu

Photo Source: NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

The number of cases saw a steep rise with more than eight hundred infected dairy herds over 16 states out of which more than six hundred herds are from California itself.

Photo Source: NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

Around sixty human cases of H5N1 flu infection have been confirmed all over the country, predominantly in California.

Photo Source: NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

CDC is investigating the Louisiana case, USDA is doing mandatory milk testing for birds to prevent the flu from spreading and it can be seen that more than 120 million poultry cases of the flu have so far been reported.

Photo Source: Kari Blessed (Facebook)

Some of the symptoms of the flu in humans are feverish feelings, headaches, cough and runny nose, seizures, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and so on.

Photo Source: LIza Summer (Pexels)

Some basic precautions include avoiding any kind of exposure or contact with sick or dead animals, avoiding their feces, properly cooking poultry products and taking needed vaccines.

Photo Source: NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

California Child Tests Positive for H5N1 Bird Flu While State Leads in U.S. Dairy Herd Infections

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