A person in the US has tested positive for bird flu after an outbreak in dairy cattle.
Recently, a farmworker in the US developed both eye and respiratory symptoms following exposure to infected cows, signifying a potential change in the transmission patterns of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus currently affecting dairy cattle in the country. Although there's no evidence yet suggesting that the virus has become more dangerous or easily transmissible from human to human, experts believe that the individual experienced lung symptoms due to inhaling aerosols in the milking parlor, rather than touching their eyes with contaminated hands as in the previous cases.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for Michigan, stated in a news release that the current risk to the general public is low, although she emphasized the importance of wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) around infected livestock to prevent spread among those who work on dairy and poultry farms. She added that ongoing research is being conducted to understand how the virus is being transmitted from cows to humans.
This particular case marks the third human infection attributed to this highly pathogenic avian influenza strain found in dairy cows in the US, with the other two cases involving eye infections, or conjunctivitis. The individuals did not come into contact with each other, but they all worked with cattle, likely indicating cow-to-human transmission. Health officials have advised workers on poultry and dairy farms to get a seasonal flu vaccine, as it could help reduce the likelihood of contracting a co-infection with avian and regular flu viruses.
The farmworker had direct contact with the infected cattle and notified health authorities about their symptoms, which were described as mild. The Michigan health department has advised anyone working on poultry or dairy farms to receive a seasonal flu vaccine.
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The farmworker wore PPE to protect themselves while working with the infected cattle. Despite the mild symptoms, health officials recommended that anyone working on poultry and dairy farms gets a seasonal flu vaccine to reduce the risk of co-infections with avian and regular flu viruses.
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