A patient in Missouri, USA has tested positive for the H5 bird flu virus without any known contact with infected animals, raising concerns about a potential pandemic outbreak.
The first human case of H5 bird flu with no known animal contact has been recorded - sparking fears of a potential pandemic outbreak.
Officials are studying the sample as there is no immediate known animal exposure. While more research into the first case is underway, some experts have speculated the patient might have come into contact with raw milk infected with H5, which is currently circulating in cows in the US. READ MORE - These are the six most telling symptoms of bird flu that you can develop
"While other novel flu cases have been detected through the country's national flu surveillance system, this is the first time that system has detected a case of H5. Targeted H5-outbreak specific surveillance has been conducted as part of ongoing animal outbreaks and has identified all the other cases. In this case, the specimen from the patient originally tested positive for flu A, but negative for seasonal flu A virus subtypes. That finding triggers additional testing.
The CDC's current assessment to the general public from H5N1 remains low. However, according to some experts, the unexplained H5 infection raises the possibility of person-to-person transmission, something which the World Health Organisation warned would be of "enormous concern" due to its potential to trigger another deadly pandemic.
H5 Bird Flu Pandemic Human Infection Missouri CDC
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