CDC says third person infected with bird flu – with new symptom

Another human case of bird flu linked to sick dairy cows has been detected in Michigan, marking the third farmworker diagnosed with the disease in the United States since March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. None of the cases are related.

This is the second Michigan farmworker in a week to be diagnosed with the illness. And a Texas dairy worker was diagnosed in March. In these cases, the patients’ only sign of illness was pink eye.

This latest case is different, however, because the patient also had a cough accompanied by eye symptoms. The person was given Tamiflu and was reportedly recovering.

All farmworkers at this latest Michigan dairy are being monitored for symptoms. The CDC recommended that anyone who comes into contact with a sick cow monitor for symptoms for 10 days.

There is no evidence that the virus, an A strain of influenza called H5N1, spreads from person to person, the CDC said. The infected workers come from different farms and have been in direct contact with sick cows.

Up to 67 herds across nine states were affected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to the Michigan herds, dairy cattle in Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas have also tested positive for bird flu.

“Given the extent of spread of this virus among dairy cows, additional human cases in people at higher risk would not be surprising,” the CDC said in a press release.

Federal health officials have said the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low.

“The CDC has closely analyzed data from flu surveillance systems, particularly in affected states, and there have been no signs of unusual flu activity in people, including in emergency rooms and in the detection of laboratory data,” the agency said in a press release.

The CDC conducts genetic testing on samples of the virus taken from the patient to look for changes that indicate whether it is mutating in a way that allows it to spread easily from person to person. These results could be available within a few days.

This is the fourth case of H5N1 in the United States. A Colorado inmate who worked on a farm slaughtering birds suspected of being infected with bird flu was diagnosed in 2022. His only symptom was fatigue.

Worldwide, fewer than 1,000 cases of H5N1 in humans have been identified. CDC data shows that more than half of these patients died, but this mortality rate may be an overestimate since mild cases may go undetected.

The CDC recommends that anyone in contact with dairy cattle – including animal bedding and feces – wear protective equipment, including safety glasses, waterproof aprons and boots that can be disinfected.

The agency also said people should not drink raw, unpasteurized milk.