Four Additional US Health Workers Exhibit Symptoms After Encounter with Missouri Bird Flu Patient, Reports Reuters

By Julie Steenhuysen

Four more healthcare workers in Missouri who had contact with a hospitalized bird flu patient exhibited mild respiratory symptoms, though none tested positive for the virus, U.S. health officials announced on Friday.

The update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) brings the total number of healthcare workers affected by respiratory symptoms in relation to the Missouri patient to six.

Unlike previous cases of bird flu in the U.S. this year, the Missouri patient, who was admitted to the hospital on August 22, did not have known contact with infected animals. Health experts are closely monitoring the situation for any indications that the virus may be spreading more easily among humans.

The Missouri health department is leading the investigation, with assistance from the CDC. A spokesperson for the department stated that the investigation is ongoing and there is currently no evidence suggesting person-to-person transmission of the virus.

One of the healthcare workers underwent a flu test that returned negative results. Symptoms in other workers were identified too late for testing. Additionally, a household member of the patient developed symptoms but was not tested, and all individuals have since recovered.

The state has collected blood samples from five healthcare workers and the household member to check for antibodies that could indicate a prior infection. The CDC is also evaluating samples from the hospitalized patient and the household member.

Missouri is preparing to send the other samples to the CDC as soon as possible.

These cases highlight the importance of taking the current outbreak seriously, according to Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He emphasized the need for timely antibody testing to evaluate the risk of human-to-human transmission. Adalja remarked that the slow flow of information from Missouri is concerning, urging the state to seek formal CDC assistance.

The Missouri case marks the 14th instance of bird flu in the United States this year, with the previous 13 cases being linked to outbreaks among farm workers on poultry or dairy farms. The Missouri health department has committed to sharing relevant updates as the investigation progresses.