3 Colorado poultry staff fall in poor health, CDC to check for fowl flu
Three poultry staff in northeast Colorado are presumed to have fallen in poor health with fowl flu as extra human instances sprout throughout the U.S., state and federal well being officers stated Friday.
The three staff have been working to depopulate chickens at an egg-laying facility experiencing an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, which has been circulating in wild birds and has triggered multi-state outbreaks in dairy cows, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention stated.
Colorado epidemiologists suspected the poultry staff’ infections to be a results of working instantly with contaminated poultry, the state Division of Public Well being and Atmosphere stated.
The employees have exhibited gentle signs that embrace conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and customary respiratory an infection signs, state officers stated. Not one of the staff have been hospitalized.
Earlier than Friday, 4 folks, all dairy staff, had fallen in poor health with fowl flu this 12 months, with one case in Texas, two instances in Michigan and a fourth case in northeast Colorado, recognized in early July. With the three Colorado staff, there at the moment are seven instances of fowl flu within the U.S. The three instances are the primary to occur on the similar place.
Officers have been frightened concerning the spillover of avian influenza to people. Initially the influenza was believed to have come from wild birds earlier than spreading to chickens and cows. The CDC says threat stays low to the general public.
There aren’t any indicators of sudden will increase in flu exercise in Colorado, or in different states affected by fowl flu. However the newest instances are regarding due to the potential to trigger extreme illness, the CDC stated.
“The opposite cause these kinds of human infections are regarding is due to their pandemic potential,” the CDC stated. “If these viruses have been to vary to unfold simply from person-to-person, it might set off a pandemic.”
The most recent Colorado staff have had specimens collected and despatched to the CDC to substantiate testing for the precise H5N1 virus at present circulating. Colorado public well being officers have collected further samples from symptomatic staff which can be being examined this weekend, officers stated.
In 2022, an incarcerated Colorado man was the primary particular person within the U.S. to get fowl flu. He was engaged on a poultry farm.
State well being officers say it’s nonetheless fit for human consumption correctly dealt with and cooked poultry merchandise. Doing so kills micro organism and viruses, together with fowl flu viruses.
Up to now, 48 states have fowl flu outbreaks in poultry, the CDC stated. A dozen states have outbreaks amongst dairy cows.
