The first known human case of H5 bird flu in the United States has been detected in a person in Colorado, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday. 

The individual, who tested positive for avian influenza A (H5) virus, was involved in culling poultry presumed to be infected with the H5N1 bird flu, the CDC noted in their statement. 

“This case does not change the human risk assessment for the general public, which CDC considers to be low”, the agency continued. 

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The infected individual reported feeling fatigued. This was the only symptom for a few days, the CDC said, adding that the person has recovered since then. They also noted the patient was isolated and is being treated with oseltamivir – the antiviral drug used for influenza. 

H5N1 viruses have been found in both backyard and commercial birds in the US in 29 states, and in wild birds in 34 states, from the time the CDC began monitoring the situation for illnesses among people exposed to the virus, late in 2021. 

Their statement reads, “CDC has tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposures to H5N1 virus-infected birds and this is the only case that has been found to date. Other people involved in the culling operation in Colorado have tested negative for H5 virus infection, but they are being retested out of an abundance of caution”. 

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On a global scale, this is the second human case where this specific group of the H5 virus has been detected. Currently, the predominant kind, the first case was reported in Britain in December 2021. 

This individual lived with a large number of domestic birds, and upon detecting the virus, appropriate steps were taken to isolate and treat the person in question. People in contact were also traced and tested, but there was no evidence of secondary transmission at the time.