Washington state health officials have announced what appears to be the nation’s first human case of bird flu (H5) since February.
According to health officials, the individual developed a high fever, confusion, and respiratory distress and was hospitalized in early November. Health officials are investigating the source of the infection, including potential exposure to wild or domestic birds.
The CDC continues to classify risk to the general public as low, though higher for people who work with poultry, cattle, or wild birds.
The George Washington University has experts available who can offer insight and analysis. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaum
gwu [dot] edu (katelyn[dot]deckelbaum[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Barbara Kowalcyk is the associate professor and director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security within the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. For 20 years she has been a nationally recognized expert in food safety with training in epidemiology, public health informatics, risk science, regulatory decision-making, and public policy.
Janet Buffer, is the senior institute manager for the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security within the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Jose Lucar is an associate professor of infectious diseases at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
David Diemert is the clinical director of the GW vaccine research unit and professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
-GW-