A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu, which marks the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows. The worker had been in contact with cows at a farm with infected animals and experienced mild eye symptoms, ultimately recovering from the infection. The worker tested positive for bird flu in an eye swab, indicating an eye infection, although a nasal swab initially tested negative. Health officials emphasized that the risk to the public remains low but farmworkers exposed to infected animals are at higher risk and should be provided with protective equipment, especially for their eyes. The investigation is ongoing to determine if the worker was wearing protective eyewear during the contact with infected animals.
Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been spreading among various animal species in numerous countries, including dogs, cats, skunks, bears, seals, and porpoises. The detection of the virus in U.S. livestock earlier this year raised concerns about food safety and the potential for it to spread among humans. However, there have been no reported cases of the virus spreading among humans, although there has been a steady increase in infections in cows. As of Wednesday, the virus had been confirmed in 51 dairy herds in nine states, with fifteen herds in Michigan alone. U.S. officials noted that more infections in people who work around infected cows could potentially be diagnosed.
The CDC and Michigan officials have been actively monitoring farmworkers who were exposed to infected cows, conducting tests and sending daily text messages to check for any possible symptoms. The recent case of a Michigan farmworker being diagnosed with bird flu and recovering without severe illness reflects the effectiveness of these monitoring efforts. University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm emphasized that there is no evidence of the virus causing flu-like illness or spreading among people. The virus has been detected in high levels in the raw milk of infected cows, but pasteurized products sold in grocery stores are considered safe as heat treatment kills the virus.
This new case in Michigan is the third known instance of a person in the United States being diagnosed with Type A H5N1 virus. In 2022, a prison inmate in Colorado contracted the virus while handling infected birds at a poultry farm. The worker only experienced fatigue and recovered from the infection. The recent case of a dairy worker being diagnosed with bird flu adds to the limited instances of human infections with this particular virus strain in the U.S. The Associated Press Health and Science Department, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is responsible for all content related to this news article on bird flu infections in U.S. dairy workers.
