Colorado Bird Flu Outbreak Affects 1,790,800 Birds in Weld County, Five Workers Infected

Jul 15, 2024, 10:33 AM

An outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Colorado, affecting both poultry and dairy herds. The virus has been detected in 35 dairy herds and an egg-laying operation in Weld County, impacting 1,790,800 birds. This accounts for 22% of all birds affected in Colorado during the outbreak. State officials are testing three patients for bird flu, who were involved in the culling of 1.8 million chickens. Five workers have shown symptoms ranging from pink eye to respiratory infections, but none have been hospitalized. The CDC has stated that the risk to the general public remains low, though experts urge for expanded testing and protective measures for farmworkers. The virus has also been detected in dairy herds in Oklahoma, making it the 13th state to report such cases. The virus has shown a tendency to invade brain tissue and may be predisposed to infect cows due to the mildly acidic environment in the mammary gland.