East Bay child tests positive for bird flu

(KRON) -- A child from Alameda County has been identified by state health officials as testing positive for bird flu, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced Tuesday. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the initial positive test result.

The East Bay child tested positive while exhibiting mild upper respiratory symptoms, CDPH said. According to the agency, the patient was treated and is recovering at home.

The child, whose age was not released, had no known contact with an infected animal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with local public health officials, are investigating possible exposure to wild birds.

A repeat test for bird flu was conducted four days after the initial positive test. That followup test was negative, according to officials. “Additional testing shows the child was also positive for respiratory viruses that could be the cause of their cold and flu symptoms,” CDPH said.

Family members of the child tested negative for bird flu, and no person-to-person spread has been detected or is suspected by health officials. The family that was tested was confirmed to have “the same, more common respiratory viruses as the child,” CDPH said. Other people who had contact with the child were notified by the department and offered preventative measures.

The test specimens from the child were sent to the CDC for further analysis.

“We want to reinforce for parents, caregivers and families that based on the information and data we have, we don’t think the child was infectious,” CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said in a statement. “No human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years.”

California has reported 26 confirmed human cases of bird flu since early October, CDPH said. All of those cases involved direct contact with infected dairy cows.