The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has announced a suspected case of avian flu in a child from Alameda County, who presented with mild upper respiratory symptoms.
The child, who has had no known contact with infected animals, is recovering at home after receiving treatment. The CDPH has sent samples for confirmation testing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If confirmed, this case would be significant as it could mark the second avian flu infection in a child in North America from an unknown source. Last week, a similar case was reported in Canada, where a teenager in British Columbia was hospitalized in critical condition due to H5N1 avian flu, though the source of the infection remains undetermined.
In California, the suspected case would also be the second this year not linked to direct exposure to sick animals, with the first being a patient in Missouri in August. The CDPH noted that the positive test for avian flu was at a low level, suggesting that the child was not likely infectious to others. Follow-up testing four days later showed negative results for the virus, and further tests revealed that the child was positive for other respiratory viruses that could explain the symptoms.
The child had attended daycare while symptomatic, and local health officials have been in contact with caregivers and families to provide health monitoring and offer preventive treatment if necessary. While other family members showed mild symptoms, they tested negative for avian flu.
The CDPH, in collaboration with the CDC, is investigating potential exposure to wild birds, as migratory birds along the Pacific flyway are known to carry the avian flu virus. The Alameda County area, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, does not have commercial dairy herds, which are typically associated with other cases of avian flu in the state.
Health officials have emphasized that human-to-human transmission of bird flu has not been documented for over 15 years, and they reassured the public that the risk of widespread transmission remains low. The child’s case is still under investigation, but at this time, there are no indications of a larger public health concern.
With input from the Hill, CNN, and the University of Minnesota.
