A dairy worker in Churchill County was infected with a new type of bird flu, state and federal health officials said Monday.
It is the state’s first and only human case. The worker was exposed to infected dairy cattle while working at the farm.
The illness was considered mild, the Nevada Central Health District said. The person’s main symptom was eye redness and irritation, similar to most bird flu cases associated with dairy cows. The person wasn’t hospitalized and has recovered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at a higher risk,” a press release said. Those who come in contact are advised to wear protective equipment and take precautions.
CDC officials said there is no evidence the virus has spread from this person to any other people. The agency continues to say the virus poses a low risk to the general public.
The bird flu currently spreading through animals, and some people, is known to scientists as Type A H5N1 influenza. But there are different strains.
A version known as B3.13 was confirmed in March after spreading to cattle in late 2023, scientists said.
The newer version, known as D1.1, was confirmed in Nevada cattle on Jan. 31.