Person tests positive for bird flu in Barron County

Emily Baude KSTP

Wisconsin health officials say a person tested positive for bird flu in Barron County, marking the first human case for the area.

The “first presumptive positive human case” of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) was detected in Barron County following an infection of a flock of commercial poultry, according to the Wisconsin Department of Human Services (DHS).

A release from DHS says the person had exposure to the infected commercial flock.

DHS officials say the virus doesn’t easily spread from animals to people, and people who have gotten sick with bird flu have been in direct contact with infected animals.

The case was identified through testing at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene (WSLH) and is awaiting confirmation at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the release added.

Meanwhile, in Louisiana, health officials confirmed on Wednesday the first known severe illness in the U.S. caused by bird flu, and California’s governor declared a state of emergency as the virus rampages through dairy cattle in that state.

A person in Louisiana is hospitalized in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms caused by a bird flu infection, state health officials said. The person, who is over 65 and has underlying medical problems, had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

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