In our last few reports on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), otherwise known as ‘bird flu,’ ten Colorado poultry workers had developed symptoms of bird flu (mainly pink eye), and California dairy cows were reported to be infected.

No cases of human infection with bird flu that couldn’t be traced to exposures to sick animals had ever been reported. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says a patient in Missouri was hospitalized with bird flu despite having no known contact with animals.

The patient, who had underlying medical conditions, was successfully treated with antiviral medications at the hospital and has since been discharged, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

This marks the 14th person (in three states) to contract bird flu in the U.S. this year — and the first infection to occur without any reported exposure to sick or infected animals, the CDC alert stated