A person in Texas has been diagnosed with a bird flu strain tied to a recent outbreak among dairy cows, becoming the second person ever in the US to contract the virus, federal and state officials confirmed on Monday. The patient, who has not been publicly identified, suffered from eye inflammation and was tested for the bird flu last week, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirming the infection over the weekend. Texas officials noted that the patient had been directly exposed to dairy cows presumed to be infected and insisted that the virus does not pose much risk to the general public.

The US Department of Agriculture also confirmed that there are no changes in the bird flu virus, Type A H5N1, that would make it more transmissible to humans. "While cases among humans in direct contact with infected animals are possible, this indicates that the current risk to the public remains low," the department said in a statement over the weekend. The latest infection comes just a week after dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with the virus. Since then, herds in Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico have also tested positive for bird flu, marking the first time the disease has been found in dairy cattle, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Despite the infections in the dairy industry, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said last week that "this outbreak is not currently expected to threaten our nation's commercial dairy supply." The World Health Organization estimates that more than 460 people have died over the last two decades from bird flu infections, with the virus having killed millions of birds and sea mammals worldwide. The CDC has emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low and that practicing good hygiene can help prevent the spread of this and many other illnesses.