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A Michigan farm worker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.

The patient had mild eye symptoms and has recovered, U.S. and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case Wednesday.



The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and the risk to the public remains low, officials said. The first case was found in late March, when a farm worker in Texas was diagnosed in what officials called the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal. That patient reported eye inflammation and was treated with an antiviral drug.

A nasal swab from the patient of this most recent case tested negative for influenza in Michigan. But an eye swab was shipped to the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and tested positive for influenza A(H5) virus, indicating an eye infection. Federal tests find no signs of bird flu virus in Canadian retail milk Second Opinion There's no question H5N1 bird flu has 'pandemic potential.' How likely is that worst-case scenario? Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been spreading among more animal species — including dogs, cats, skunks, bears and even seals and porpoises — in scores of countries.

The detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was an unexpected twist that sparked questions about food safety and whether it would start spreading among humans.

That hasn't happened, although there's been a steady increase.

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