A CDC report has ruled out a case of potential human-to-human spread of bird flu in Missouri.
A Missouri patient was diagnosed and reported as a confirmed case of H5N1 bird flu in September.
The CDC reported October 24, that state and local officials in Missouri investigated that patient’s contacts and found six health care workers and one family member with active or recent flu symptoms. One health car worker’s symptoms had resolved entirely.
The CDC developed and carried out a test for H5N1 antibodies in blood samples from five of the health care workers, the family member and the patient.
According to their study the CDC found definitive negative results for all of the health care workers tested.
One test did detect antibodies indicative of previous H5N1 exposure in the original patient and the family member, but the CDC found negative results in two additional tests.
The CDC concludes that the patient and family member contracted the illness through a single common exposure. Though that exposure event is still listed as unknown by the CDC, they assert that their remains no evidence of human-to-human spread of the virus in the United States.
Read the full CDC report at this link.