US health authorities have confirmed a case of bird flu in a patient who was not immediately known to have had contact with animals.

The patient in the state of Missouri was treated in hospital and has since recovered, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

According to the CDC, this is the 14th human case of bird flu in the United States in 2024 and the first without known occupational contact with infected animals.

The agency said that based on current data, the risk to the general population remains low.

Avian flu is a viral disease that primarily affects birds and other animals. Infections in humans are rare.

Previous cases in the U.S. were traced to contact with infected poultry or cattle, but the Missouri patient is “the first case of H5 without known occupational contact with sick or infected animals,” the CDC said in a statement on Friday.

The Missouri case was discovered during routine surveillance during flu season. The patient had underlying medical conditions and was receiving antiviral flu medications.

Bird flu is on the rise among cows in the United States this year. An outbreak was first reported in March, and by September 3, cattle in 14 states had been affected, according to the CDC.

While there have been no reports of bird flu outbreaks in cattle in Missouri, the disease has occurred in poultry this year and in wild birds in the past, health officials said.

In March 2024, U.S. health authorities discovered a case of bird flu in humans. The disease was diagnosed after contact with possibly infected dairy cows.

Avian flu was first identified in China in the 1990s and has since spread to every continent, including Antarctica. World health officials believe the current risk to humans is low, but have been actively monitoring the disease for years.

It has a disease has influenced wildlife worldwideand infects species as diverse as sea lions, seals and bears.