CLAYTON, MO (KMOX) - St. Louis County Health officials say they've identified a case of avian flu in a wild bird. Formally called Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenze (HPAI), it's the first case in the county and the sixth reported in the state of Missouri this spring.
The health department says bird-to-human transmission is very rare. As a precaution anyone who handled the bird is being monitored.
A release from the St. Louis County Health Department points out that over the last few months, HPAI has been detected in the United States, both among wild birds, and recently in commercial flocks in Missouri. The department says avian Influenza is not an immediate public health threat, but it is important to use common sense precautions.
The department says it is important to not handle sick or dead birds and to report any sick or dead wild birds to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
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