A Michigan farmworker is the second human to be infected with the current H5N1 bird flu virus, health officials said.
The farmworker had mild symptoms and has since recovered, Michigan health officials said Wednesday. The virus has been circulating on dairy and poultry farms in the U.S. this spring, and the farmworker has been in contact with dairy cattle that are presumed to be infected.
“The current health risk to the general public remains low,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. “We have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this time. This is exactly how public health should work, in the early detection and monitoring of new and emerging diseases.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a nasal swab from the person tested negative for influenza at a state laboratory, but an eye swab from the patient was sent to the CDC and tested positive for the influenza A virus, indicating a eye infection.
Since 2022, there have been two previous human cases linked to poultry and dairy exposure in the US: one in Colorado in 2022 and one in Texas earlier this year.
Similar to the Texas case, the patient in Michigan reported only ocular symptoms.
Bird flu was first detected in dairy cows in March, although data from viral samples showed it had been circulating in cattle for at least four months and was the cause of a drop in milk production.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed outbreaks in 51 herds in nine states, including Michigan, which reported 19 infected herds.
“Today’s news highlights the continued importance of limiting non-essential farm visits, including farm visits and field trips, as well as the use of personal protective equipment when working with livestock,” said Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in a statement.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
