A second human case of bird flu was confirmed in a dairy worker in Michigan, US government officials said, expanding the impact of the H5N1 outbreak, which has been found in dairy cattle in nine states, reported Reuters.
The case follows the infection of a Texas farm worker and health officials said the risk to people remains low.
Why is H5N1 avian influenza a concern?
The spread of bird flu among dairy cattle reflects an expansion of the range of mammals that can be sickened by the virus that typically infects birds.
Influenza experts said finding a second case of avian influenza in humans was worrisome. Scientists are on alert for changes in H5N1 that could signal the virus is adapting to spread easily among humans. The virus has caused serious or fatal infections among people in close contact with wild birds or poultry. It has long been on the list of viruses with pandemic potential, and any expansion to a new mammal species is concerning. Read more