Abbreviated article… “We’re now in the midst of a multistate outbreak of influenza A H5N1 bird flu in dairy cows and other animals. USDA has confirmed outbreaks in more than 130 dairy herds across 12 states, and also in a herd of alpacas. CDC has confirmed three human cases of bird flu in dairy farm workers. The first case, on April 1, 2024, was the first-ever known case of cow-to-human transmission of bird flu viruses in the United States and globally, and it was the second-ever documented human case of bird flu in the United States. The first US case was in a poultry worker in Colorado in 2022. The chief complaint for the first two patients in that outbreak was conjunctivitis. The third patient had more typical flu symptoms, including a cough. All three of these patients had direct contact with infected cows. On July 3, 2024, a fourth human case of H5N1 bird flu, tied to the dairy cow outbreak, was identified in Colorado. This patient only reported eye symptoms.
Over the past 27 years, more than 900 sporadic bird flu cases in humans have been reported worldwide. Overall, 52% of them have been fatal. CDC says to avoid exposure to sick or dead animals. They also recommend wearing appropriate personal protective equipment for job-related exposure to infected or potentially infected animals. …”
Be Alert for Conjunctivitis: New Human Cases of H5N1 Bird Flu – Medscape – July 09, 2024.
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