Florida, October 22: Experts are concerned after the caretaker of a TikTok-famous Emmanuel the emu has been posting photos and videos kissing and cuddling the animal while he has avian influenza, which is transmissible to humans and can be deadly.

Emmanuel Todd Lopez, the emu got to fame on TikTok this year after multiple videos showed him walking into frame and disrupting his caretaker Taylor Blake as she made films with other animals. Blake’s stern reaction to the bird – “Emmanuel, don’t do it!” — became a viral catchphrase among fans. Emu lives on Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida. Bird Flu in Marine Mammals: H5N1 Avian Flu Detected in Dolphin in Florida and Porpoise in Sweden

Blake had earlier on Saturday announced that Emmanuel had fallen ill after wild birds infected their domesticated birds with avian influenza, reported Insider.

Blake Shared News of Emu Getting Infected on Twitter:

Emmanuel was among the birds who had got infected with avian influenza but is now stable. Blake has since been sharing updates on his condition with photos and videos of Emu, some of which show her touching, cuddling, and kissing him. Bird Flu in France: 10,600 Ducks Culled After Detection of Avian Influenza at Duck Farm

However doctors and experts are concerned with human infection of avian influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that avian influenza (or bird flu) does not usually infect people but it can happen in rare cases. It can range in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that can lead to death.

Blake in her defence has said that the farm was in the midst of a 150-day quarantine, and that she and her girlfriend have not left since the outbreak and has taken every precaution recommended by the FDA.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2022 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).