California Investigates Possible Bird Flu Case in Dairy Worker
California health officials are investigating a potential case of bird flu in a dairy worker who had contact with infected cattle. This comes amidst concerns about the virus's spread to humans, following outbreaks in cattle across 14 states and infections in 13 dairy and poultry farmworkers this year.
The worker tested "presumptively positive" for bird flu, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct further testing to confirm the finding. The individual, who remains unidentified, only experienced conjunctivitis (pink eye) and is currently receiving antiviral medication and isolating at home.
The infected worker is employed at a Central Valley dairy facility currently experiencing an outbreak among its cattle population. Cows at California dairy farms, the nation's leading milk producer, began testing positive for bird flu in late August.
While the general public's risk remains low, individuals interacting with infected animals face a higher risk of contracting bird flu. This was evident in Missouri last month, where a person with underlying health conditions contracted the virus without known animal exposure. Six healthcare workers caring for the Missouri patient developed respiratory symptoms, though the virus was not confirmed in any of them.
Scientists are closely monitoring the situation for signs of the virus becoming more easily transmissible among humans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to begin testing raw cow's milk intended for pasteurization at dairy plants to better understand the prevalence of the bird flu virus in milk. This voluntary study, starting October 28th, aims to ensure the continued safety of pasteurized dairy products.
Prior FDA testing of retail dairy samples yielded negative results, and further testing is ongoing.
9 Comments
Bella Ciao
🤬 Our government and public health agencies are failing us by not taking bird flu seriously enough.
Comandante
😠 It's worrying that the virus can spread through milk. The FDA needs to act fast to prevent contamination.
Africa
😡 This is just another reason why I'm switching to plant-based milk. I won't support an industry that puts workers and consumers at risk.
Coccinella
👍 The dairy industry is working with the government and health agencies to implement measures that minimize the risk of further spread, and they should be commended.
ZmeeLove
🙏 We can overcome this challenge by working together with informed and responsible actions.
cecivelr
😳 I hope the infected worker recovers soon. But this highlights how bird flu can easily jump to humans.
Raphael
👍 The voluntary FDA study of cow's milk is a good move to ensure continued food safety.
Donatello
😥 I feel for the dairy workers who are at high risk due to their jobs. They need better protection.
Michelangelo
👍 The development of rapid tests to detect bird flu in poultry is another positive step towards mitigating risks.