A baby who visited Marin County during Thanksgiving week is being tested for possible infection with H5N1, the bird flu.
Marin Health Officer Dr. Lisa Santora said the kid tested positive for influenza type A at a hospital. Bird flu belongs to the kind A category. The child was visiting from out of state for the vacations.
“Additional local and state testing has not been able to confirm whether this is seasonal influenza or a subtype of avian influenza,” Santora said.
Staff submitted a sample from the patient to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The county expects to receive test results by the top of the week, Santora said Monday.
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H5N1, which generally infects poultry flocks and wild birds, has been transmitted to a minimum of 58 people within the United States this 12 months, based on the CDC. 32 cases have been reported in California.
A human case of H5N1 was reported in Alameda County last month. Authorities have no idea the patient's source of exposure, Marin County Health officials reported.
Symptoms of the virus in humans include eye redness, mild flu-like symptoms, fever, pneumonia, fatigue and difficulty respiration, based on the CDC.
Marin County public health officials reported that H5N1 has been detected in wild birds, poultry and wastewater in Marin. Last month, staff began investigating “presumptive” positive test results at a poultry farm.
H5N1 outbreaks led to the euthanasia of 1.2 million birds by business breeders in Sonoma County last 12 months, officials said
Santora said H5N1 spread from birds to cattle this 12 months.
“We don’t see the same level of severity in the cows themselves,” she said.
Cows might be quarantined and returned to take advantage of production after their infectious period ends, she said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered H5N1 testing for the country's milk supply this month.
“This will give farmers and farm workers greater confidence in the safety of their animals and the ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on the path to quickly controlling and stopping the spread of the virus across the country,” said Agriculture Minister Tom Vilsack in a press release.
Santora said her employees' fundamental concern is the dairy and poultry staff in Marin County.
“As with any virus transmission, improved hand hygiene is an important factor,” she said.
Santora added that dairy and poultry farmers are also urged to be vigilant for possible H5N1 illnesses.
“Early detection is key for farms to identify sick animals and quarantine them as quickly as possible to minimize harm to the animals,” she said.
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