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texas officials confirmed Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) has been detected in Austin-Travis County after testing was performed on dead birds discovered in north Austin earlier this month.
The Austin Department of Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services said testing on the deceased birds was performed by an area veterinary laboratory, which detected the virus.
Austin Public Health issued the advisory Wednesday as a reminder to the public that people who work with infected wild birds, poultry or dairy cows are at increased risk of contracting the virus if they are exposed to a sick or infected dead animal.
Although bird flu usually affects wild birds, especially waterfowl and domestic birds, more than 60 human cases of bird flu have been detected throughout the United States.
BIRD FLU PATIENT HAD VIRUS MUTATIONS, WHICH AWAKENED IN HUMAN SPREAD
A person touches a test tube labeled “Bird Flu” on January 14, 2023. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo)
A patient in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with the first human case of bird flu He died on Monday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).
The unidentified patient was over 65 years old 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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week, suggesting that bird flu could potentially spread from person to person. .
LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US
A mallard in a river (iStock)
Both the CDC and LDH maintain that the risk to the public remains low.
However, officials warned that those who enter contact with birdsPoultry or cows are at higher risk of contracting the virus.
As of Friday, there were 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu, including the Louisiana 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 microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows two virions of influenza A (H5N1), a type of bird flu virus. (Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC via AP, file)
About 40 of the cases were related to exposure to cattle herds.
Avian flu is a 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 who has a sick or dead pet bird to contact a veterinarian.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
