U.S. health officials have confirmed a human case of bird flu in Missouri, where the patient had no immediate known exposure to animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the patient was treated in the hospital and has since recovered.
This marks the 14th human case of bird flu in the U.S. in 2024, and notably the first without any known occupational exposure to infected animals, the CDC reported.
Despite this, officials emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low.
Bird flu is a viral disease primarily affecting birds and other animals, with human infections being rare.
Previously, U.S. cases were linked to contact with infected poultry or livestock, but the Missouri case is the first instance of the H5 strain without known exposure to sick animals.
The case was detected through routine flu season surveillance, and the patient, who had underlying medical conditions, was treated with antiviral medications.
While bird flu has impacted cattle in 14 states this year, including a March outbreak, no outbreaks have been reported among Missouri’s cattle, though it has appeared in poultry and wild birds.
Globally, bird flu was first identified in China in the 1990s and has since spread across every continent, including Antarctica.
Though the risk to humans remains low, the disease continues to affect wildlife, with species like sea lions, seals, and bears also being infected.