The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed two human cases of H5N1 bird flu in California, marking the state’s first human infections amid an ongoing outbreak in dairy herds. Both individuals had occupational exposure to infected dairy cows, according to health officials.
Investigators have found no known connection between the two cases, suggesting separate instances of animal-to-human transmission. The CDC said that the risk to the general public remains low, and these cases were not unexpected given the exposure to infected animals.
With these new confirmations, the total number of human cases in the U.S. for 2024 has risen to 16, bringing the overall count to 17 since 2022. Get the whole story at newsweek.