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The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH), California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that it has confirmed the first human case of H5N1 bird flu in a Fresno County resident.

The news comes on the heels of the first reported human cases in Madera County, with two residents having been reported as being infected with the virus.

The resident, who had come into contact with infected cattle at a dairy farm, reported mild symptoms, is isolating at home and is being treated with antiviral medications.

The virus, first discovered in California dairy cattle in August, has been monitored closely over the past several months. As of now, there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus in California.

“Although there is now one confirmed human case of bird flu in Fresno County, the risk to the general public remains low at this time,” said Dr. Trinidad Solis, Deputy County Health Officer for the FCDPH. “It is essential for everyone on dairy and poultry farms to take safety precautions and follow all public health recommendations to reduce the risk of further human cases.”

The FCDPH encourages dairy workers to utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) to help mitigate risk of transmission. The department is taking efforts to provide PPE to dairy workers and also encourages the public to be wary of its consumption of dairy products, adding that pasteurized products are safe to consume, noting the pasteurization process’ efficiency at inactivating the bird flu virus.

Residents who believe they may have been exposed to the virus should monitor for symptoms for 10 days following their last exposure; symptoms can include eye redness, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing, and fever.

For more information on the national bird flu outbreak, check out the CDC’s Bird Flu Response Update.

To report elevated numbers of sick livestock or if you suspect bird flu in your livestock, call the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) at 1-866-922-2473.

Additional information about bird flu, as well as PPE requests for farm owners and supporting organizations can be found at the Fresno County bird flu website.