05/05/2024
US NEWS
Texas farmer diagnosed with bird flu from cow had intense eye bleeding, gross new photo shows
By Deirdre Bardolf
Published May 4, 2024, 2:44 p.m. ET
A dairy worker in Texas who was diagnosed with bird flu experienced painful bleeding in both of his eyes, a disturbing new image of the patient shows, and fluid oozed from one of them.
The farm worker reported eye discomfort and redness late last month after coming into contact with sick cattle. The livestock exhibited similar symptoms to cows in northern Texas that were diagnosed with the H5N1 virus, according to a medical report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
ADVERTISEMENT
The patient was quickly diagnosed with the bird flu strain Type A H5N1, which is spreading rapidly among livestock.
Close-up of a dairy farm worker's eyes showing symptoms of Conjunctivitis and Subconjunctival Hemorrhage due to H5N1 virus infection
3
Doctors released the first image of a patient diagnosed with bird flu, who experienced hemorrhaging in the eyes.
Timothy M. Uyeki et al/New England Journal of Medicine
Doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initially diagnosed the unidentified person, released a photo as part of the report on Friday. It outlined the symptoms and showed the patient’s bloodshot eyes severely hemorrhaged
US NEWS
Texas farmer diagnosed with bird flu from cow had intense eye bleeding, gross new photo shows
By Deirdre Bardolf
Published May 4, 2024, 2:44 p.m. ET
A dairy worker in Texas who was diagnosed with bird flu experienced painful bleeding in both of his eyes, a disturbing new image of the patient shows, and fluid oozed from one of them.
The farm worker reported eye discomfort and redness late last month after coming into contact with sick cattle. The livestock exhibited similar symptoms to cows in northern Texas that were diagnosed with the H5N1 virus, according to a medical report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
ADVERTISEMENT
The patient was quickly diagnosed with the bird flu strain Type A H5N1, which is spreading rapidly among livestock.
Close-up of a dairy farm worker's eyes showing symptoms of Conjunctivitis and Subconjunctival Hemorrhage due to H5N1 virus infection
3
Doctors released the first image of a patient diagnosed with bird flu, who experienced hemorrhaging in the eyes.
Timothy M. Uyeki et al/New England Journal of Medicine
Doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initially diagnosed the unidentified person, released a photo as part of the report on Friday. It outlined the symptoms and showed the patient’s bloodshot eyes severely hemorrhaged.
ADVERTISEMENT
EXPLORE MORE
Mugshot of Wisconsin teacher: Madison Bergmann
Fiancé of teacher busted for ‘making out’ with 5th-grader says wedding is off: 'She cheated with a little kid'
Madison Bergmann was arrested Wednesday for allegedly "making out" with her fifth-grade student.
Wisconsin elementary school teacher, 24, busted for 'making out' with 5th-grader -- three months before wedding
Aspiring doctor brain dead after friends pushed him into lake knowing he can't swim, left him underwater for nearly 10 minutes: report
The right eye, which experienced the fluid drainage, was especially red.
The worker wore gloves but no face mask or eye protection when he dealt with the animals, according to doctors.
ADVERTISEMENT
The virus appeared to infect only the farmhand’s eyes and luckily didn’t spread to his lungs.
The patient had no changes in vision, fever or other any other symptoms and the fiery pinkeye cleared up within days, according to the report.
A row of cow rear ends showing udders, standing side by side in a field
3
The first report of a human contracting the bird flu from cows came just a week after dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with the virus.
Casa.da.Photo – stock.adobe.com
ADVERTISEMENT
The mild case isn’t guaranteed — while some people don’t develop any noticeable symptoms, others can come down with severe, life-threatening pneumonia.
Around 52% of humans who have contracted H5N1 since 2003 have died, according to the World Health Organization, and some experts fear the real threat would come if there are further mutations.
The patient was told to isolate and was treated with an antiviral drug for the flu, according to the CDC.
ADVERTISEMENT
The agency said in a release on April 1 that the threat to the general public remains low despite the infection, but those with close or prolonged exposure to infected birds or other animals are at greater risk. Authorities also insist the nation’s meat dairy supply is not at risk.
The Texas worker became the second person in the US to contract the virus, according to federal and state officials.
Researchers in protective gear checking territory in Antarctica after detection of H5N1 bird flu cases
3
Officials say the recent bird flu infection does not mean there is any greater risk to the general public. It was originally detected in Antarctica in October 2023.
Chilean Antarctic Institute/AFP via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT
The latest diagnosis came a week after dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with the virus. Herds in Michigan, Idaho and New Mexico have since tested positive for bird flu. Thirty-six total dairy herds were affected as of Thursday, according to the CDC.
What do you think? Post a comment.
The first human infection was in 2022, when a prison inmate contracted the disease while killing infected birds at a poultry farm in Colorado.
It’s the first time the avian flu has been found in cattle but it has thrived in more mammals in recent years, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
A dairy worker in Texas who was diagnosed with bird flu experienced painful bleeding in both of his eyes, a disturbing new image of the patient shows, and fluid oozed from one of them. The farm wor…
