A rare case of bird flu has been reported in a child in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The child, from California, had only mild symptoms and is now recovering.
The case was discovered during a routine flu test. At first, the test showed low levels of the bird flu virus, but follow-up tests showed no signs of it. Instead, the child tested positive for other common respiratory viruses.
The CDC is working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to figure out how the child might have caught the virus. Family members were also tested, and while they didn’t have bird flu, they did have the same respiratory viruses as the child.
So far, there’s no sign that the virus spread from person to person, either in this case or in any of the 55 others reported in the U.S. this year.
To stay safe, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with sick or dead birds, livestock, or places where they may have been. For more tips on how to protect yourself, check out the CDC’s website at cdc.gov.
