The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will confirm testing and send a team to Colorado to investigate how the workers may have contracted the virus, the agency said. Friday said. CDC will also examine virus sequences to determine if the virus has mutated.
The virus — which has caused outbreaks in dairy cows and chickens this spring and summer — poses little risk to the public because it is unlikely to spread from person to person. However, if it mutates to spread easily between people, it could pose a greater risk, however, as the virus has an “epidemic potential” that concerns human cases, the CDC said.
“These preliminary results underscore the risk of re-exposure to infected animals,” the CDC said. “Historically, most human cases of bird flu infection have occurred in people who did not wear the recommended personal protective equipment.”
The agency’s low risk assessment for the public remained unchanged after the report of the suspected cases. The CDC reported Friday that there are no signs of increased flu activity in states affected by outbreaks in poultry and cattle.
Three presumptive cases would be the first confirmed cases in humans exposed to infected birds in the United States; All four already confirmed this spring are livestock-exposed populations. The first was a Texas dairy worker, followed by two separate cases in Michigan and a fourth this month involving a Colorado dairy worker.
Three newly infected workers developed cold symptoms and PGI; No one was hospitalized, state health officials said. Four other affected workers also reported conjunctivitis or pink eye.
The bird flu outbreak has affected more than 99 million chickens and 151 dairy herds in the United States. According to the CDC, the virus has been detected in more than 9,500 wild birds Latest count.
In 12 states, dairy cows have been infected, while poultry infections have been detected nationwide. In Last monthThe virus has been detected in chicken flocks in Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The federal government has given cash to dairy farmers with infected herds to test their herds, trying to encourage testing and safety measures to help contain the outbreak. The US government plans to make a bird flu vaccine available as soon as this month and has given money to Moderna to develop an mRNA-based vaccine.
An initial federal response that has been slow and fragmented has drawn frustration from some officials and experts, The Washington Post reported in April, and some have called for even stronger vetting of livestock.
Avoid exposure to sick or dead animals, including birds and cows, and avoid animal feces and litter, the CDC said. Colorado officials advised anyone who becomes ill after working with potentially infected cows or chickens to call their doctor or the state health department.
Proper cooking kills the bird flu virus; Health officials say chicken and eggs that are properly cooked and handled are safe to eat. Commercially available milk, such as pasteurized milk, is considered safe, although the CDC recommends avoiding unpasteurized or raw milk.
