California child tests positive for bird flu with no known exposure to infected animals
California health officials reported a possible case of bird flu in a child in the San Francisco Bay Area. The child had no known contact with infected animals.
California health officials on Tuesday reported a possible case of bird flu in a child with mild symptoms.
The child lives in Alameda County, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, and tested positive for the virus despite having no known contact with an infected animal.
Officials with the California Department of Public Health said in a news release that they are investigating whether the child could have been exposed to wild birds. It's considered a “possible” case until the positive test is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fifty-three people have been confirmed with bird flu in the U.S. this year, according to the CDC; all but one had been exposed to infected poultry or dairy cows.
The child experienced mild upper respiratory symptoms and is recovering at home after receiving treatment, the health department said. No person-to-person spread of the virus has been detected, and the child's family members all tested negative. A bird flu test on the child four days after the positive result came back negative.
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