Texas officials confirmed Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) has been detected in Austin-Travis County after testing was conducted on dead birds discovered in North Austin earlier this month.
The Austin Public Health Department and Texas Department of State Health Services said tests on the deceased birds were conducted by an area veterinary laboratory, which discovered the virus.
Austin Public Health issued the advisory Wednesday to remind the public that people who work with infected wild birds, poultry or dairy cows are at greater risk of contracting the virus if they are exposed to a sick or infected dead animal.
Although bird flu typically affects wild birds, especially waterfowl, and domestic poultry, more than 60 cases of bird flu have been reported in humans in the US.
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A person touches a test tube labeled ‘Bird Flu’, January 14, 2023. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo)
A patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with the first human case of bird flu died Monday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).
The unidentified patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the agency said.
The same patient was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week, indicating that bird flu could potentially spread from person to person.
LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US
A wild duck in a river (iStock)
Both the CDC and LDH maintain that the risk to the public remains low.
However, officials warned that those who entered contact with birdspoultry or cows are at greater risk of contracting the virus.
There were 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu as of Friday, including Louisiana’s case, according to the CDC. Of those, 37 were in California, 11 in Washington state and 10 in Colorado.
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This undated electron microscopy image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows two Influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus. (Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC via AP, File)
About 40 of the cases were linked to exposure to herds of livestock.
Bird flu is one highly contagious virus which can spread through contact with infected animals, through equipment and on the clothing and shoes of caregivers, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
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Austin health officials encourage anyone who comes across a sick or dead bird to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission at 800-550-8242. Officials also encourage anyone with a sick or dead pet bird to contact a veterinarian.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
