Hen flu hits Colorado in fourth case in 2024, CDC says
A fourth individual has been contaminated with hen flu this 12 months as an outbreak amongst dairy cows continues throughout the U.S., federal well being officers introduced Wednesday. The 4 individuals who contracted the virus stay in three states.
The case of a Colorado dairy employee is the state’s first this 12 months. Well being officers recognized the primary U.S. case of avian influenza in 2022, in an incarcerated one who was uncovered to contaminated chickens at a Colorado poultry farm. The primary case within the 2024 outbreak was recognized in Texas, and two circumstances in Michigan adopted, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
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Colorado well being officers mentioned the person, who labored on a dairy farm in northeast Colorado, had direct contact with cattle contaminated with avian influenza. He was being monitored due to his work publicity to H5N1 virus-infected cows. He didn’t have contact with the three folks contaminated earlier this 12 months in Texas and Michigan.
The Colorado man developed signs in late June, mentioned Sasha Geffen, a spokesperson for the state Division of Public Well being and Setting, in an electronic mail. The subsequent day, the person reported his sickness to state well being officers, who discovered he had gentle signs of conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, a situation current in different staff who grew to become sick this 12 months.
He was examined two days after signs started, however outcomes of his an infection by state laboratories had been inconclusive, Geffen mentioned. After officers despatched specimens to the CDC for testing, the CDC realized on Tuesday the person examined optimistic for avian influenza. He obtained oseltmavir, an antiviral drug, and has recovered, CDC mentioned.
Colorado officers preserve the present public well being threat stays low. The CDC additionally mentioned the Colorado case doesn’t change the federal well being company’s evaluation that the general threat to most of the people is low. The subtype of the hen flu virus the Colorado man has can be decided after genetic sequencing, CDC officers mentioned. That data could possibly be launched within the subsequent couple of days and assist officers establish adjustments to the virus and calculate the danger.
“Avian flu viruses are at the moment spreading amongst animals, however they don’t seem to be tailored to unfold from individual to individual,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist for Colorado’s public well being division, mentioned in a press release. “Proper now, an important factor to know is that individuals who have common publicity to contaminated animals are at elevated threat of an infection and will take precautions after they have contact with sick animals.”
The individuals who examined optimistic for hen flu this 12 months had been all dairy staff at farms the place cows had examined optimistic for hen flu, the CDC mentioned. Officers mentioned this underscores that it’s essential to take precautions if in case you have intensive publicity to contaminated animals. Working in these circumstances poses a higher threat of an infection.
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Over 130 U.S. dairy herds have been discovered to have contaminated cattle in 12 states. Hen flu is widespread amongst wild birds, and officers consider the virus spilled over from wild birds to cows. The contaminated cows then transmitted it to 4 folks in shut contact with the animals.
There have been no human-to-human transmissions throughout this outbreak. Such a discovering would stoke alarm amongst public well being officers.
Earlier this week, federal officers introduced plans to ramp up vaccine manufacturing for hen flu vaccines in case extra people grow to be contaminated.
