First bird flu cases in wildfowl reported in Los Angeles County this year
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FALLOUT
SALINAS — LA County has reported seven wildfowl-related illnesses since October. The latest is an adult who is suspected of having avian influenza A (H7N9).
H7N9, a type of influenza A virus that usually causes mild to severe illness in people but which can be deadly in birds, has been detected in domestic fowls in China and has been found to have spread to people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that avian influenza is not easily spread between humans and has only been seen in “unexpected and rare instances.”
However, the CDC said those who are at higher risk of acquiring the flu and its complications, including those of a weakened immune system or pregnant women, should avoid close contact with poultry.
The wildfowl sickened between Oct. 14 and Nov. 2. The adults were found to have H7N9, the agency said in a statement.
The birds were in the wild but not in the county. The health officer said they had been trapped during the autumn hunting season by California Department of Fish and Wildlife after they appeared to be sick.
“The birds were found with what appeared to be severe or acute respiratory infection,” said Lt. Paul Davenport with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which conducts statewide hunting and trapping seasons.
They are under evaluation at a veterinary hospital, he said.
Salinas’ first H7N9 case
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The first human H7N9 infection was reported in an 8-week-old girl in Guangdong, China, in late January.
Avian influenza A H7N9 had been reported in China before the girl’s illness
