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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a highly pathogenic form of bird flu in a person in Oregon – the state's first. According to the state's health authority, the infected person is linked to a previously reported outbreak tied to a commercial poultry operation in the state, where the virus has been confirmed in 150,000 birds.

As of now, no details of the infected individual from the western state have been provided. However, the authorities said there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission and the risk to the public is low.

According to officials, the infected individual is connected to a poultry operation in Clackamas County, where the Oregon Department of Agriculture previously confirmed the virus in 150,000 birds. Last month, around 150,000 chickens were euthanized in the same county to prevent the spread of the virus.

While the virus is typically fatal in poultry, it is usually mild for humans. The symptoms of bird flu include high fever, chills, eye redness, and respiratory sickness, like cough and sore throat.

In a statement, Clackamas County Public Health Officer Sarah Present said they have been “closely monitoring people exposed to the animal outbreak, which is how this case was identified. The individual experienced only mild illness and has fully recovered.”

Health officials say the risk to the public is low, and there is “no evidence of person-to-person transmission.”

More than 50 people across seven states have tested positive since the beginning of this year, as the virus has infected poultry flocks and spread to more than 500 dairy herds, the CDC said. According to statistics, all the cases were farm workers who had known contact with infected animals, except for one in Missouri.

Last month the bird flu infection was confirmed in a pig on a backyard farm in Oregon - the first detection of the virus in swine in the country. According to the new instructions from the CDC, all farm workers who have been exposed to animals with bird flu should be tested, even if they do not have symptoms.

Since 2022, the virus has wiped out more than 100 million poultry birds in the nation’s worst-ever bird flu outbreak.

Authorities say those at highest risk are people who regularly work with sick animals. To reduce the risk, officials say “People should avoid contact with sick or dead birds or animals, or their droppings or litter.” Officials also caution against consuming unpasteurized or raw dairy products.

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