In what could be the first cases of bird flu spreading between humans in the United States, a group of potential H5N1 infections in Missouri has now grown to eight. Antibody tests to confirm any H5N1 infection are still pending. After a patient with bird flu was hospitalized last month, state and federal health officials first determined the patient may have infected one household member and two hospital workers .
However, "Missouri has since identified four additional health care workers who later developed mild respiratory symptoms," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a health alert issued Friday.
"One of these workers was in the higher risk category and provided a blood specimen for H5 antibody testing," the agency added. "Three of these workers are among 94 workers who were exposed to the hospitalized case of avian influenza A[H5] after droplet precautions were instituted [i.e.
, lower risk exposure]; blood specimens for those who became symptomatic have been collected for H5 antibody testing at CDC." If cases of bird flu among these health care workers are confirmed with antibody testing, it could mean the virus may be starting to spread among humans. Worldwide, most cases have come from close contact with infected birds.
"We should be very concerned at this point," Dr. James Lawler, co-director of the University of Nebraska's Global Center for Health Security, told the New York Times. "Nobody should be hitting the panic button yet, but we should .
