The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) reported on Wednesday the fourth human case of hen flu linked to the continuing dairy cow outbreak within the nation, marking the primary such case reported in Colorado.
All 4 instances had been reported in individuals who work on dairy farms the place cows examined constructive for the H5N1 pressure of the virus. Since March, two instances have been recognized in Michigan and one case recognized in Texas. The instances are all unrelated, the CDC mentioned.
The Colorado man, as with the primary two human sufferers, reported solely pink eye signs, which the Colorado Division of Public Well being and Surroundings (CDPHE) described as “gentle.” Within the third case, recognized in Michigan in late Might, the individual skilled respiratory signs together with cough with out fever and eye discomfort with watery discharge.
The Colorado affected person took the antiviral, Tamiflu, and has recovered, the CDC mentioned.
The CDC mentioned the chance to most people stays low. There’s a better danger, nevertheless, to folks with “shut or extended, unprotected exposures to contaminated birds or different animals (together with livestock), or to environments contaminated by contaminated birds or different animals,” based on the CDC.
“The danger to most individuals stays low,” CDPHE state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy mentioned in an announcement. “Avian flu viruses are presently spreading amongst animals, however they aren’t tailored to unfold from individual to individual. Proper now, an important factor to know is that individuals who have common publicity to contaminated animals are at elevated danger of an infection and will take precautions once they have contact with sick animals.”
The Colorado man was being monitored, as he’s a farmworker who had publicity to contaminated cattle. He reported his signs to state well being officers, who performed exams that had been inconclusive. The CDC performed exams that got here again constructive.
The CDC has been monitoring states’ flu surveillance methods, “and there was no signal of bizarre influenza exercise in folks, together with in syndromic surveillance,” based on the CDC.
Nonetheless, well being officers are warning the general public to be vigilant about solely consuming milk that’s pasteurized and solely eat “correctly dealt with and cooked dairy, beef, and poultry merchandise.” The CDPHE warned Coloradans to not contact sick or useless animals. If they have to accomplish that, the CDPHE mentioned, folks ought to put on private protecting tools together with an N95 respirator, eye safety and gloves.
