First case of person to contract H5N1 after no known animal contact highlights federal-state agency relationships

The first case of a person to contract bird flu after no known contact with animals is raising questions about the possibility of human-to-human transmission and highlighting the complicated relationship between states and federal agencies in outbreak response.

An extensive investigation into the case of a patient in Missouri who was hospitalized on 22 August has revealed no links to animals, officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told reporters on Thursday.

Two contacts of the patient also fell ill around the same time, the agency revealed in a report the next day. Read more at The Guardian.