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Information for Health Care Providers
Maine CDC Health Advisory
December 19, 2024
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1): Reminders for Clinicians and Veterinarians
U.S. CDC has announced the first severe case of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) (also called HPAI, avian influenza, or bird flu) in the country, discovered in Louisiana, and another severe case was recently reported in Canada. There have been no known human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) in Maine. Human and animal exposures to and infection with avian influenza remains a possibility. Clinicians should continue to (1) assess for relevant exposure history in patients with respiratory illness, (2) continue testing for influenza in patients with compatible illness, and (3) send all influenza A positive specimens to Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) for subtyping.
