California case of bird flu infects child in Alameda County

OAKLAND, Calif. - The state of California said a child in Alameda County was infected with bird flu and suffered some mild upper respiratory symptoms as a result, the state health department reported on Tuesday. 

The child is recovering at home; and state health officials said they had no known contact with an infected animal. 

It's possible that the child was exposed to some wild birds, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The child is also not infectious and no one in the child's family tested positive for the bird flu, state health officials said. 

 In humans, bird flu symptoms include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing, and fever.

"It’s natural for people to be concerned, and we want to reinforce for parents, caregivers and families that based on the information and data we have, we don’t think the child was infectious – and no human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years," CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said in a statement.

Since early October, California has reported 26 confirmed human cases of bird flu, all following direct contact with infected dairy cows. All have reported mild symptoms –  mostly  eye infections – and none have been hospitalized, state health officials said.

Human infections with bird flu viruses are rare, and no person-to-person spread has been detected in California or the United States, state health officials said.

People who have contact with infected dairy cows, poultry, or wildlife have a greater chance of getting bird flu, which can happen if the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or is inhaled.

In a statement, the health department said that the child's positive test showed a low-level detection of the virus, meaning the child was probably not infectious to others. 

After four days, the test was negative, and more testing showed the child was also positive for respiratory viruses that could be the cause of their cold and flu symptoms, the health department said.

Out of an abundance of caution, anyone who came in contact with the child, including at the child's daycare, is notified and offered preventive treatment and testing. 

CDPH officials said they have been closely monitoring the bird flu situation in both animals and humans since the state's first detection in poultry in 2022.