Colorado Confirms Four New Bird Flu Cases in Poultry Workers, Fifth Suspected, CDC Team Deployed

Jul 15, 2024, 01:50 PM

Colorado health officials have confirmed four new cases of H5N1 bird flu among poultry workers, with a fifth suspected case pending confirmation. The outbreak, which has been linked to the culling of 1.8 million chickens, has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to send a nine-person team to assist with the investigation. The affected workers exhibited mild symptoms such as pink eye and respiratory issues, and none required hospitalization. This brings the total number of human cases in the U.S. to nine since the first case was detected in 2022. The virus, which has also been found in dairy cattle and other mammals, poses a significant occupational risk to farmworkers. Finland has begun vaccinating farmworkers, and experts are urging the U.S. to consider similar measures to prevent further spread. The ongoing outbreak has affected 135 dairy herds across 12 states.