Detroit, Michigan – A dairy farm worker in Michigan has tested positive for an H5 bird flu virus, marking the second human case of bird flu linked to the unprecedented outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus among dairy cows in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the worker only experienced a mild eye infection and has since recovered, similar to the first case in a dairy farm worker in Texas. The Michigan worker was being monitored for symptoms due to exposure, as the person worked on a dairy farm with H5N1-infected cattle.
During a press briefing, CDC Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah mentioned that the person was participating in an active surveillance system. The state’s health department sent a daily text message asking about any symptoms, leading to the identification of the worker’s infection after responding that there were symptoms.
Health officials conducted swabs of the worker’s nose and eye, with the CDC confirming a negative nasal swab and a positive eye swab. The CDC’s risk assessment for the general public remains low, emphasizing the necessary precautions for those exposed to infected animals.
While it remains unclear how the worker became infected, the CDC suspects that the person may have come into contact with raw milk containing high levels of H5N1. The CDC expects to have genetic sequencing of the virus available soon to assess any mutations that may pose risks for human transmission.
The US Department of Agriculture reported that 52 dairy cow herds in nine states have been infected with H5N1, with Michigan alone reporting 19 infected herds. This ongoing outbreak in dairy cows has raised concerns about the virus’s potential to spark an outbreak in humans.
As a precaution, the federal government is working on producing 4.8 million doses of H5N1 vaccine that is a match for the virus seen circulating in dairy cows. Public health officials continue to closely monitor the situation to prevent any potential spread among humans.