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A person in Louisiana has been hospitalize with H5N1bird flu , marking the United States ' first severe eccentric of the unwellness .
In astatement released Wednesday(Dec . 18 ) , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) noted that , in total , 61 people in the U.S. have had a confirmed slip of H5N1 this class . Of the previous 60 cases,37 catch the virus from dairy cows , 21 from poultry , and two from unsung sources . The presumptive case wasfirst announced by LouisianaFriday and was confirmed by CDC tests the same mean solar day .
The patient likely caught H5N1 from a backyard flock of birds, officials say.
Notably , however , the virus in the Louisiana affected role dissent genetically from the virus circularise among dairy cows .
The strain circulating in dairy cows is known as the " B3.13 genotype , " while the one that sickened the Louisiana patient is the " D1.1 genotype . " The latter is known to be circulating among wild birds and poultry in the United States and Canada . Recently , D1.1 infectedpoultry doer in Washington state , who had meek cases , and ateen in British Columbia , who had a stern case that required intensive care .
The exact source of the teen ’s infection has not been identify , but genetic examination suggested the virus is genetically similar to a melody detected in wild birds in the Fraser Valley country in southwesterly British Columbia .
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The germ of the Louisiana patient ’s infection is also unknown , but birds are suspect .
" While an investigation into the rootage of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing , it has been determined that the affected role had pic to mad and stagnant birds in backyard flocks , " the CDC noted . " This is the first lawsuit of H5N1 Bronx cheer flu in the U.S. that has been linked to exposure to a backyard muckle . "
The CDC added that seeing a stark case of H5N1 is not totally unexpected . Historically , of the over900 people known to have caught the virus worldwide , more than one-half have died . But these demise have affected people outside the U.S. and have involved H5N1 filter out with different genetic traitsthat might help explicate their virulence .
The CDC still considers the risk of H5N1 infection among the general public to be low . That ’s partially because there is still no grounds of the virus spreading from one person to another .
A late study — albeit one thatfocused on an H5N1 line from a moo-cow — suggested that the virus may not need to mutate very much to start out go around between people . So officials will continue to supervise the virus ’s spread from all animals while also encouraging people at the high-pitched risk of pic to take precautions .
" This mean that backyard flock owners , hunters and other fowl fancier should also take precautions , " the office statement note .
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Dr. Demetre Daskalakis , director of the CDC ’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , told reporter at a news program conference that the Louisiana affected role was hospitalized with grippe symptoms , grant tothe University of Minnesota ’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy .
Daskalakis deferred to Louisiana health officials to share further inside information about the patient role , should they choose . The wellness department has not yet shared specific of the patient ’s stipulation due to seclusion concerns and the fact that the investigation into the case is ongoing .
This clause is for informational intention only and is not intend to offer medical advice .
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