CDC: Fourth US dairy farm worker tests positive for bird flu
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Key takeaways:
- A Colorado resident is the fourth person to test positive for bird flu in the current outbreak.
- More than 130 dairy cattle herds in 12 states have been affected.
A dairy farm worker in Colorado became the fourth person to test positive for avian influenza in the ongoing outbreak affecting dairy cows in the United States, the CDC announced Wednesday.
The CDC said it still considers the risk to the general public to be low.
Just like the previous three cases, the Colorado resident works on a dairy farm where cows have tested positive for influenza A(H5N1), also called “bird flu,” according to the CDC.
More than 130 cattle herds in 12 states have been impacted by the outbreak, but the CDC said it has not detected any unusual activity in its influenza surveillance systems — which include wastewater surveillance — indicating there is no widespread outbreak occurring among people.
As with two of the first three human cases detected in this outbreak, the Colorado dairy worker experienced only eye symptoms and was treated with oseltamivir, recovering fully, the CDC said.
The worker, who was being monitored for H5N1 based on their exposure to infected cattle, reported their symptoms to state health officials. CDC testing identified the infection as being caused by an H5 virus. Sequencing is still underway to determine the virus’ neuraminidase — the “N” in influenza subtypes.
Healio has been following the H5N1 outbreak closely. Here are some other recent updates:
US gives Moderna $176 million to develop mRNA pandemic flu vaccine
HHS announced this week that it will give Moderna around $176 million to accelerate the development of a messenger RNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine amid the ongoing outbreak. Read more.
Q&A: Optometrists ‘on the frontlines’ for early detection of bird flu
Given the reported eye symptoms during the outbreak, we spoke with Scott A. Edmonds, OD, FAAO, who specializes in vision-based neurorehabilitation at Edmonds Eye Associates in Philadelphia, about optometrists’ role in H5N1 detection and reporting. Read more.
Q&A: Could vaccinating birds, cows stop bird flu outbreak?
We reached out to Maurice Pitesky, DVM, MPVM, BMEA, a faculty member at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine-Cooperative Extension, to answer some lingering questions about H5N1, including whether it is possible to control the outbreak by vaccinating birds and cows. Read more.
Second Michigan dairy worker tests positive for bird flu, human case count rises to three
Among the three previous cases linked to this outbreak, two occurred in dairy workers in Michigan. Unlike the other cases, the second Michigan patient experienced symptoms that were more typical of an influenza infection. Read more.
Reference:
- CDC reports fourth human case of H5 bird flu tied to dairy cow outbreak. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p-0703-4th-human-case-h5.html. Published July 3, 2024. Accessed July 3, 2024.
- H5N1 bird flu: Current situation. https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html. Updated July 1, 2024. Accessed July 3, 2024.
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