Third person in US tests positive for bird flu during dairy cattle outbreak

A new case of bird flu has been reported in the U.S. as part of this year’s outbreak.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday that a farmworker in the state tested positive for the virus after working closely with cows infected with influenza A.

This is the second human case of bird flu in Michigan this month. The first case, reported on May 22, was in another farmworker who had regular contact with livestock carrying the virus, according to MDHHS.

These cases come as the flu virus spreads among dairy and poultry farms nationwide. The first case was confirmed in Texas dairy cattle in March, followed by a farmworker in Texas who became the first person to contract the virus from a mammal.

While 66 dairy herds in nine states have confirmed bird flu cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that the risk to the public is low as long as individuals avoid close contact with infected animals.

Both infected farmworkers in Michigan did not have full protective gear when in contact with the sick cows. One experienced eye discomfort after coming in contact with infected milk, while the second case had similar symptoms along with a cough, but is now recovering after receiving antiviral treatment.

“Personal protective equipment is crucial in preventing the spread of the virus among farmworkers,” MDHHS stated. “There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, and the overall health risk to the public remains low.”

In total, there have been four cases of Type A H5N1 virus in the U.S., with the first case occurring in Colorado in 2022 when a prison inmate working at a poultry farm fell ill while handling infected birds.