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Battery hens sit in a chicken shed on February 6, 2007 in Suffolk, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

ALAMEDA COUNTY, California. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first known case of H5 bird flu in a child in the United States.

On Friday, the CDC reported that the virus, also known as H5N1, had been found in a child in California.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the child lives in Alameda County. Officials say the case was discovered after the child had mild symptoms and received flu antivirals.

While low levels of viral material were detected in the child’s initial tests, follow-up tests days later were negative for H5 bird flu but positive for other respiratory viruses, the CDC told FOX 5.

Health officials tested all members of the child’s household and found that all were negative, although the CDC says family members reported the same common respiratory virus.

“Contact tracing is ongoing, but there is currently no evidence of person-to-person spread of H5N1 avian influenza from this child to others,” the CDC said in a statement. “To date, no person-to-person spread has been identified associated with any of the H5N1 avian influenza cases reported in the United States.”

What is bird flu H5N1?

H5N1 bird flu has spread widely in the US among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. Its growing presence increases the chances that people will be exposed and potentially catch it, officials say.

The first reported case of a human infected with H5N1 bird flu was in March 2024. With the most recent case, 55 human cases of bird flu have been reported in the United States in 2024. Most of these cases – 29 – were found in California. No cases have been reported in Georgia.

As of November 19, the virus has been detected in more than 10,000 wild birds, 100 million poultry and 600 dairy herds. Almost every state has an outbreak in poultry popularity, the CDC reports.

Although infections are rare, people can become infected if the virus gets into their eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled. Most cases of human infection have resulted from close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected animals.

When infected, people can experience a range from no symptoms to severe illness such as pneumonia.