A Texas farmworker contracted bird flu from an infected cow, marking the first time the HSN1 virus has jumped from mammals to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Incredibly, in what the media is calling a "coincidence," a Bill Gates-funded bird flu vaccine for this strain has just entered trials.
New images show the dairy farmer with bloodshot eyes after becoming the first person to contract bird flu from a mammal - in this case an infected cow - as the WHO calls it a "milestone" of "enormous concern".
This revelation shows the first sign of the HSN1 virus spreading from mammals to humans, just weeks after Bill Gates admitted he had prepared a new vaccine for global use.
The images of the patient and other details of his unprecedented case were published in a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According to experts, the patient developed subconjunctival hemorrhage, or bleeding just below the conjunctiva, the clear surface that covers the white part of the eye.
The patient also has a watery discharge from his right eye.
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| The farmer shared pictures of his bloodshot eyes with the New England Journal of Medicine. |
The Mirror reports: The dairy farmer is now the second person to be diagnosed with bird flu in the U.S., and may be the first to have contracted it from a mammal - in this case, a cow.
So far, nearly 900 people in 23 countries have been infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu over the past 20 years. But all have been linked to wild or domesticated birds.
The dairy farmer's case comes as experts warn that they are hearing of other farmers falling ill but not being tested for the HSN1 virus.
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| Dairy farmer caught bird flu from infected cow in March, CDC says |
The Texas patient came to doctors with the infection in late March, with scientists saying his vital signs - such as breathing - were normal. He also had no signs of fever, changes in breathing or vision during the infection.
After being treated with antivirals, the patient reported no symptoms except for some "discomfort in both eyes."
The report added: "In the following days, the worker reported resolution of the conjunctivitis without respiratory symptoms, and household contacts remained well.
CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said the patient's condition was "very mild."
She told NPR, "The person had very mild symptoms. They're recovering well. But we want to make sure, again, that we test people who may have been in contact."