1st human bird flu cases reported in Arizona

PHOENIX - Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Service have reported the first human case of avian influenza within the state.

In a statement released on Dec. 6, state health officials say the two cases involved individuals who were "exposed to infected poultry while working at a commercial facility in Pinal County," without mentioning where the facility is located.

"These individuals reported mild symptoms, received treatment and recovered," read a portion of the statement.

Non-human cases previously reported in Arizona

While this marks the first time human bird flu cases were reported in Arizona, there have been previous reports of bird flu cases involving non-humans.

On November 15, we reported that an avian influenza case was discovered at a commercial farm in Pinal County. Officials did not mention where the farm was located.

On November 26, we reported that bird flu was detected in a backyard poultry flock within Maricopa County. Officials also did not mention where the case was detected within the county.

What is avian influenza?

According to the Mayo Clinic, avian influenza is caused by influenza type A virus infections in bird species.

Per the website, birds could die from avian influenza in very serious cases.

"Bird flu rarely infects humans, but health officials worry because influenza A viruses that infect birds can change, called mutate, to infect humans and spread from person to person more often," read a portion of the website. "Because a new strain of bird flu would be a new virus to humans, a mutated strain like that could spread quickly around the world."