Human Bird Flu Confirmed in Missouri & It’s Not a Farm Worker

Multiple sources are confirming two different facts. First, there's a human bird flu case in Missouri. Second, the infected person has not had contact with animals and is not a farm worker.

The Washington Post and The New York Post are both reporting that a human case of bird flu has struck Missouri. They say it's the 14th human case of bird flu in the United States this year. The bad news is the Missouri resident who had bird flu had to be hospitalized, but the good news is they've already recovered and will be fine. But, there's a problem.

NBC News says there is concern among the experts at the CDC that the Missouri resident who became sick with bird flu was not a farm worker and had no animal contact. They quote Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who said "We need a very, very thorough investigation."

The question and the concern is whether the H5 variation of the bird flu virus has mutated and is now spreading human to human.

The Missouri Department of Health has also confirmed this human bird flu case. They say that they have forwarded their findings of this Missouri resident on to the CDC to investigate further.

As this is a developing story, it will be updated once new information is provided by the Missouri Department of Health.