A San Francisco child has made a presumptive recovery from the H5N1 bird flu, an announcement that has sent ripples through the community. According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the affected individual, who was not hospitalized, presented with symptoms typical for the bird flu, such as fever and conjunctivitis. Health officials are keen to emphasize the low risk to the public, underlining that no current evidence indicates the flu can be spread from person to person.

"I want to assure everyone in our city that the risk to the general public is low, and there is no current evidence that the virus can be transmitted between people," Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health, told the City and County of San Francisco. While the risk is deemed low, the SFDPH recommends avoiding direct contact with sick or dead birds, especially wild birds, and poultry, and also advises against the consumption of raw milk or raw milk products, as bird flu has been spreading among U.S. dairy cows.

The child's sample, originally tested at the SFDPH Public Health Laboratory as part of an enhanced surveillance strategy that turned positive for H5N1, is due for confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The investigation is ongoing, and the SFDPH looks into how the child contracted the virus. They have yet to discover how the child may have contracted H5N1 bird flu.

Public health officials strongly urge locals to report dead birds by contacting 311 and refrain from consuming unpasteurized dairy products. Pasteurization, which heats milk to a specific temperature to eliminate viruses such as bird flu, makes pasteurized milk and dairy products safe for consumption. Symptoms of bird flu in humans can range from eye redness and coughing to fever and headaches. Those who experience these symptoms should reach out to their healthcare provider. According to the SFDPH, human infections with bird flu viruses in California have been mild without necessitating any hospitalizations.