US health officials have confirmed that a patient with no known prior contact with animals has been infected with avian influenza.
The Missouri patient was treated in a hospital and has since recovered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This is the 14th case of avian flu in the United States in 2024 and the first with no known occupational contact with infected animals, according to the CDC.
The agency said the risk to the public remains low based on current data.
Avian influenza is a viral disease that mainly affects birds and other animals, but rarely in humans.
Previous cases in the U.S. have been linked to contact with infected poultry or cattle, but the Missouri patient is “the first known case of H5 influenza with no known occupational contact with sick or infected animals,” the CDC said in a statement Friday.
The Missouri case was discovered during routine influenza season surveillance. The patient had underlying medical conditions and was receiving influenza antiviral medication.
This year, there has been an increase in cases of avian influenza among cattle in the U.S. According to the CDC, the first cases were reported in March and as of September 3, cattle in 14 states had been infected.
There have been no reported cases of avian flu in cattle in Missouri, but there have been outbreaks in poultry this year and wild birds in the past, health officials said.
U.S. health officials discovered a case of human infection with avian influenza in March 2024, which was confirmed after contact with potentially infected dairy cows.
Avian flu was first discovered in China in the 1990s and has since spread to every continent, including Antarctica. World health officials currently believe the risk to humans is low, but have been actively monitoring the disease for years.
The disease affects wildlife around the world, infecting a variety of species including sea lions, seals and bears.