First bird flu cases in wildfowl reported in Los Angeles County this year
Ducks have been found sick and dead in several local wetlands and waters in the past few weeks and health officials are reminding the public to take precautions to avoid getting sick.”For the people at high risk, that means people with heart or immune system conditions (like cancer patients) and people with weakened immune systems or those with compromised immune systems, like those who have diabetes and those whose immune systems are compromised,” said Dr. Susan Gomelsky, a lead epidemiologist with the Department of Public Health.The first confirmed case of the H5N1 flu virus in Los Angeles County this year was reported Tuesday. An 11-year-old girl in the Harbor-UCLA area was found to be suffering from flu-like symptoms and hospitalized. The first human to contract the disease in the county is believed to have contracted it while visiting a friend at the beach in Santa Monica.”The symptoms of the flu are similar to seasonal flu, so people need to be aware that it can also look similar to seasonal flu,” said Gomelsky.In general, there have been about 20 confirmed cases of H5N1 in wildfowl in Los Angeles County, and about 40 suspected cases.None of the cases have been fatal in wildfowl, but there have been some fatalities in poultry.The first wildfowl case was reported at 1:05 p.m. Monday in Santa Monica. A 2-year-old female duck was picked up in traffic and found dying at a local park.Ducks were also found dead in the San Gabriel River on Feb. 16 and on February 18.The Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power reported on Feb. 26 that a dead juvenile blue heron was found on the Pacific Coast Highway in the San Clemente area.Health officials haven’t yet confirmed whether the dead heron was infected with the virus.The first chicken case was reported on March 4
