Missouri reports 1st bird flu case not tied to livestock. What’s that mean for spread?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected its first human case of the H5 avian flu in Missouri, and it marks a first in the virus’s spread.

The virus has been spreading among poultry and wild birds since 2022, but made the interspecies jump to cattle earlier this year .

The human cases of the virus, also known as bird flu, have all been livestock workers who interact directly with cattle and poultry — until now.

The Missouri case, first reported by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Friday is the first one found among the general public rather than in a livestock worker. The department did not specify where in the state the patient was.

“The Missouri State Public Health Laboratory was sent a specimen from a patient who was hospitalized on Aug. 22. The adult patient has underlying medical conditions and tested positive for influenza A. The patient has reported no exposure to animals,” the department wrote in a news release. “The patient has recovered and was discharged home.”

Could bird flu spread among humans?

The Missouri patient represents the 15th case of the H5 avian flu detected in humans during the current U.S. outbreak. While the case is notable since it appeared in the general public, officials say the virus is not currently spreading in the community to infect other humans.

“The risk of sustained transmission or infection among the general public remains low,” the MDSS said in its release. “There has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including no increase in emergency room visits for influenza and no increase in laboratory detection of human influenza cases in Missouri.”

Missouri hasn’t reported any instances of the avian flu in cattle during the current outbreak — but that may be because the state performs fewer tests on cattle than neighboring states like Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska do.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires cattle to be tested for the bird flu when they’re moved across state lines, but testing guidelines when moving cattle within states is left up to each state’s discretion. As of July 22, 2024, only 18 cows had been tested in Missouri. The virus has affected 196 cattle herds nationwide so far , as well as over 100 million poultry birds.

While the average resident isn’t at an increased risk of getting bird flu in Missouri, regular flu season is ramping up, making it a good time to get your flu shot .

Do you have more questions about the avian flu in the Midwest? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.