In March, a farm worker who had no contact with sick or dead birds but had been in contact with dairy cattle began showing symptoms in the eye. Samples were collected by the regional health department to test for potential influenza A. Experts have now confirmed the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from a mammal (dairy cow) to a human.
The information was disclosed in a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. Steve Presley, the director of The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) and the BTRL, and Cynthia Reinoso Webb, the biological threat coordinator at TIEHH, co-authored the journal article.
According to the journal article, a farm worker who had no contact with sick or dead birds but had contact with dairy cattle started showing symptoms in the eye in March. The regional health department collected samples from the worker to test for potential influenza A.
The initial testing of the samples was pe
The BTRL conducted the research in collaboration with the CDC’s LRN-B, which is situated at TIEHH.
“It’s significant that the virus has spread from birds to mammals, specifically dairy cows, and then to humans,” Presley explained. “This article in the New England Journal of Medicine holds a lot of importance. I believe it will serve as the basis for future research on how the virus is changing.”
Texas Tech’s BTRL’s participation is part of an ongoing partnership with regional, state, and federal public health organizations.
rnrn”Being a part of the CDC LRN-B, we have the ability to test for many biological threats, including those that are considered emergent,” explained Reinoso Webb.
The lab’s standby status allowed Reinoso Webb and the Texas Tech BTRL team to quickly respond to the needs of the regional public health authority. Understanding the potential dangers of the virus, Reinoso Webb prioritized testing in the safest laboratory available, and the team got to work.
After receiving the samples in the early evening, results were reported to regional, state, and federal levels within hours. By the next day, the testing process was completed.The samples were en route to the CDC for further testing and confirmation,” Reinoso Webb said, adding that they were in discussion with the CDC until midnight about various scenarios and follow-up requirements. “There is a lot of federal reporting, making it a very complicated case even though it involved only two samples and one patient,” she said. “We maintained excellent communication with the CDC and ensured that we followed all procedures as required. This is the process that was established, and this is how the communication was supposed to unfold.” The Journal Reference is Timothy M. Uyeki, Scott MThe article titled “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection in a Dairy Farm Worker” was authored by a group of researchers including ilton, Cherissa Abdul Hamid, Cynthia Reinoso Webb, Steven M. Presley, Varun Shetty, Susan N. Rollo, Diana L. Martinez, Saroj Rai, Emilio R. Gonzales, Krista L. Kniss, Yunho Jang, Julia C. Frederick, Juan A. De La Cruz, Jimma Liddell, Han Di, Marie K. Kirby, John R. Barnes, and C. Todd Davis. The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024. The DOI for the article is 10.1056/NEJMc2405371.