What You Need To Know
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the below Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to inform clinicians, state health departments, and the public of a recently confirmed human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus in the United States following exposure to presumably infected dairy cattle.
This patient is the second person to test positive for HPAI A(H5N1) virus in the United States. The first case was reported in April 2022 from Colorado in a person who had contact with poultry that was presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) virus. The current risk these viruses pose to the public remains low. However, people with job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds, cattle, or other animals are at higher risk of infection and should take appropriate precautions outlined in CDC Recommendations for Farmers; Poultry, Backyard Bird Flock, and Livestock Owners; and Worker Protection.
Action Items:
- Clinicians are reminded to report any suspect cases or clusters of respiratory illnesses with recent (within 10 days) relevant exposures prior to illness onset to their local health department
- Local Health Departments are reminded to review resources available on the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) website to assess exposures, determine epidemiologic criteria and promptly report any suspect cases to NJDOH.
- Local health departments are also reminded to refer to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for animal health resources
Please contact the Influenza Illness team at cdsfluteam@doh.nj.gov with any questions regarding this message.