(CNN) - A dairy farmer in Texas who caught bird flu appears to be the first known instance of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus.
The worker reported no contact with sick or dead birds but he did have repeated close contact with dairy cows in Texas, where there are infected herds, according to a letter on the case published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The man was treated with anti-viral medication and never became seriously ill and his case is shedding new light on bird flu and confirms humans can get the virus after contact with cows.
At the same time, it illustrates how hard it will be to track an outbreak like this where a positive test could mean a farmer loses days of work and pay.
There have already been rumors of dairy workers who are sick but do not want to be tested.
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