Health officials in Arizona are continuing to monitor cases of H5 avian influenza. The state’s first human cases of the virus were reported last week and more animal cases were confirmed this week.
“The overall risk of transmission for the general population is extremely low. There has not been any proven human-to-human transmission,” said Dr. Joel Terriquez, medical director for the bureau of infectious disease with the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Terriquez said the only people who might be at risk are those who have direct contact with sick or dead animals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking an outbreak of avian flu across the U.S. since 2022.
The first infections among a commercial poultry flock in Arizona were reported on a Pinal County farm in mid–November. Last week, the state health department confirmed two workers from that farm had tested positive for the virus after contact with the infected birds.
More animals tested positive for the virus this week at a zoo in Litchfield Park. Five of the animals died, including a cheetah, a mountain lion and some exotic birds. But Terriquez said no human cases have been confirmed among the workers there.
“We make sure that the appropriate protective gear is provided and that there is access to not only testing, but also treatment in case there are any additional human cases. Obviously, the situation is very closely monitored,” Terriquez said.
Bird flu was also confirmed in a backyard poultry farm in Maricopa County in late November. And the virus was detected this week in wastewater sampling in Coconino County.
According to the CDC, H5 avian influenza infections in humans can result in mild upper respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis, but some cases can lead to severe outcomes such as pneumonia or even death.
The CDC has reported 58 other human cases of the virus across seven states this year.
