Additionally, the government is investigating the source of the infection as well as those who had contact with the patient.Since late last year, Chile has documented cases of H5N1 bird flu in wild animals.

Recent outbreaks at industrial poultry farms prompted the government to suspend poultry exports. Argentina has also reported industrial cases, but Brazil, the world’s greatest exporter of poultry, remains free of the disease.

The virus can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, but there is no documented human-to-human transmission, according to Chilean health authorities.

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A 9-year-old girl was diagnosed with the first incidence of human-to-human transmission of bird flu in Ecuador earlier this year. According to global health officials, the risk of human-to-human transmission is low, but “just in case” vaccine manufacturers are producing avian flu vaccines for humans.

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