Texas officials say dead birds found in early January tested positive for bird flu

Texas officials confirmed Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) has been detected in Austin-Travis County after tests were performed on dead birds discovered in North Austin earlier this month.

The Austin Public Health Department and Texas Department of State Health Services said the tests on the deceased birds were conducted by an area veterinary lab, which detected the virus.

Austin Public Health issued the advisory Wednesday as a reminder to the public that people who work with infected wild birds, poultry or dairy cows are at a greater risk of contracting the virus if they are exposed to a sick or infected dead animal.

While bird flu typically affects wild birds, especially waterfowl, and domestic poultry, over 60 human cases of bird flu have been detected across the U.S.

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A patient in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with the first human case of bird flu died Monday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).

The unidentified patient was over 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the agency said.

The same patient was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week, suggesting bird flu could potentially spread from human to human.

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Both the CDC and the LDH maintain that the risk to the public remains low.

Officials did caution, however, that those who come in contact with birds, poultry or cows are at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

As of Friday, there were 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu, including the Louisiana case, according to the CDC. Of those, 37 were in California, 11 in Washington state and 10 in Colorado. 

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Around 40 of the cases were related to exposure to cattle herds.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious virus that can spread through contact with infected animals, by equipment and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Austin health officials encourage anyone who comes across a sick or dead bird to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission at 800-550-8242. The officials also encourage anyone with a sick or dead pet bird to contact a veterinarian.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.