Michigan farm worker becomes second American to be infected with H5N1 bird flu, CDC reveals

A dairy worker in Michigan has become the second person in the US to be infected with bird flu in the current outbreak.

The individual tested positive for the H5N1 virus in his eye, suggesting he caught it from splashed contaminated milk or by rubbing his eye with his hand.

The CDC has not revealed details about the patient's condition - only that they showed 'symptoms' consistent with an eye infection. 

The agency is performing tests to assess whether the virus has mutated in a way that would make it more infectious or deadly to people.

At the moment, officials insist the risk to the public is still 'low,' and there is no sign that people can spread the virus to others easily. 

Still, many health experts are concerned that the virus appears to be jumping between multiple species, which gives it opportunity to mutate.

The more mutations is acquires, the higher the risk it evolves to spread in people. Historically, H5N1 strains have killed around half the humans they infect.

It comes after a Texas farm worker became the current outbreak's 'patient zero' last month. Like the Colorado patient, he also suffered an eye infection called conjunctivitis, or pinkeye. He has since recovered from his illness. 

In 2022, the first-ever American, an inmate in Colorado, became infected with H5N1 after working on a commercial farm that was culling birds suspected to be infected. The man, who suffered fatigue, recovered with the medication Tamiflu.

The latest patient in Michigan was tested with nose and eye specimens. While the nose swab came back negative, the eye test was sent to a CDC lab for further testing. The eye test came back positive. 

More follows