Bird Flu Scare Intensifies as California Child Becomes First US
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A California child is recovering from H5N1 bird flu, marking the first pediatric case in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The child exhibited mild symptoms and is believed to have contracted the virus through an unknown source, as no contact with infected animals has been identified, Live Science reported.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is investigating potential exposure to wild birds. Concurrently, the state issued a raw milk recall after bird flu was detected in a sample from Raw Farm, although no direct connection to the child's case has been found.

H5N1, primarily spread by birds, has caused a total of 55 human infections in the U.S. this year, 29 of which were in California. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission and the CDC maintains the risk to the public remains low.

The CDPH has assured the public that caregivers and family members of the infected child, as well as day care affiliates, have tested negative for the virus. Investigations into the source of exposure are ongoing.

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