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A person in Texas became ill with bird flu after contact with infected dairy cattle, state officials reported Monday. It’s the first human case of the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in Texas, and it’s the second recorded in the U.S., according to the health alert state officials issued. “The risk to the general public is believed to be low; however, people with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) have a higher risk of infection,” the alert said. (Bohra, 4/1)

Sid Miller, commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, said it’s not yet clear whether the person was infected by a dairy cow or through the same source that infected the dairy cows, which appears to be dead waterfowl that were found on the property. Regardless of the source, Miller said the public should not be worried. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a similar statement Monday, saying, “This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low.” (Sullivan, 4/2)

These developments are concerning. But how worried should we be? Here’s what to know about the risk to humans and to the millions of farmed and wild animals. (Jones and Torrella, 4/2)