The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Missouri (USA) indicates that further investigation is required to ascertain whether there is a potential for human-to-human transmission of avian influenza. A person who had been in close contact with an individual infected with avian influenza subsequently exhibited symptoms of illness on the same day. Moreover, neither the initial patient nor the domestic contact had previously been exposed to the virus through animal sources or raw milk. Both patients have made a full recovery. However, only the initial case was confirmed as positive for H5N1, thus the possibility of infection with the avian influenza virus remains unconfirmed by contact. Antibody tests are currently being conducted, which may indicate exposure to the H5N1 virus.
The CDC currently argues that the simultaneous development of symptoms in close contact individuals does not provide evidence of person-to-person transmission of the disease. It has been suggested that this phenomenon is the result of a common exposure. Consequently, there is currently no epidemiological evidence suggesting that the H5N1 virus can be transmitted from person to person, although further research in this area is needed.
