A Michigan dairy worker contracted bird flu after exposure to infected livestock, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced. This is the second human case linked to the U.S. dairy cow outbreak.
According to the Health and Human Services of Michigan, the virus has been present in dairy and poultry farms across the U.S., leading state and local health officials to closely monitor for any human cases. These cases can occur sporadically among individuals who have close contact with sick animals.
The detection of a human infection through comprehensive testing is not unexpected, and current information indicates this is an isolated case with no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
“Since the first detection of influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle on March 29, Michigan has prioritized both the animal and human health aspects of this disease outbreak,” said Tim Boring, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development director. “Today’s news underscores the continued importance of limiting nonessential farm visits, including farm tours and field trips, as well as the use of personal protective equipment when working with livestock.”
The worker developed pinkeye but no respiratory symptoms and has fully recovered. Health officials emphasize that, while the risk to the general public remains low, the potential for respiratory transmission is reduced but not eliminated.
“The risk to the general public remains low,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said. “We know that with our current understanding of H5 influenza, and H5 influenza particularly in livestock, that there is the risk for sporadic human cases. And that’s what we’ve seen at this time. What we have not seen is any sort of sustained human to human transmission.”
This case follows a similar instance in Texas and is under close monitoring by the CDC, which is preparing genetic analyses to better understand the virus’s transmission capabilities.
