The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the fourth human case of the H5N1 bird flu associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of the virus in dairy cows in the United States.
Knewz.com has learned that the latest case marked the first instance of the H5N1 virus infection in the state of Colorado.
Previously, one such case was reported in Texas and two were reported in Michigan.
In all four human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. so far, the patients were dairy farm workers who came into contact with cows that had tested positive for the virus.
The CDC wrote in a July 3 press release about the latest human case of bird flu, "A dairy worker who was being monitored because of their work exposure to H5N1 virus-infected cattle reported symptoms to state health officials."
"Testing results were inconclusive at the state. Specimens forwarded to CDC for additional testing were positive for influenza A(H5). The state was then notified of the results."
"CDC has been watching influenza surveillance systems closely, particularly in affected states, and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including in syndromic surveillance," the press release added.
The federal agency pointed out that the Colorado patient had only reported "eye symptoms," and had already recovered after receiving treatment involving the antiviral medication Oseltamivir.
Notably, Dr. Leonard A. Mermel, the professor of medicine at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the medical director of the Department of Epidemiology & Infection Prevention at Lifespan Healthcare System, had previously warned that the H5N1 bird flu could infiltrate humans through cows and subsequently make mankind the carrier of the virus.
He wrote in The Providence Journal back in June that cow udders contain cells that have receptors used by the virus to attach themselves to the airways of birds, which they can use to attach to human airways as well.
"Since there can be millions of H5N1 viruses in a cow udder with receptors for human airways and since H5N1 is a virus that quickly mutates, the cow udder is a potential 'mixing vessel' whereby a mutation could lead to the H5N1 virus to preferentially bind to human cells," Dr. Mermel elaborated.
The CDC mentioned in its press release that individuals with "close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals" are at a higher risk of contracting the H5N1 bird flu virus.
The federal agency also wrote in the press release that although the latest case is the fourth one reported in the U.S., and the first one in Colorado, it has not changed the "CDC’s current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public," and the agency still considers the risk factor from the H5N1 factor to be low.
On the other hand, Dr. Mermel had claimed that the H5N1 bird flu linked to dairy cows has the potential to cause another pandemic, one with a far worse impact than COVID-19.
Dr. Mermel's concerns regarding a potential H5N1 bird flu pandemic were shared by the World Health Organization (WHO), which wrote in a May 2024 FAQ that the virus is constantly evolving and "could potentially become easily transmissible from person to person."
"If this occurs, it could be the start of a new influenza pandemic, as was the case with the 1918 and 2009 H1N1 pandemics."
The 1918 "Spanish Flu" pandemic, also known as the "Purple Death," claimed the lives of more than 21 million people worldwide, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The U.S. alone witnessed the deaths of 675,000 people, more than the casualties the country suffered in the two World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined.
Dr. Mermel warned in his The Providence Journal article that a bird flu pandemic could mirror, or even surpass, the effects of the "Spanish Flu."
The CDC wrote in the press release that "people should avoid close, long, or unprotected exposures to sick or dead animals" and "avoid unprotected exposures to animal poop, bedding (litter), unpasteurized (“raw”) milk... that have been touched by, or close to, birds or other animals with suspected or confirmed [H5N1 viral infection]" as primary precautionary measures to avoid contracting the disease.