US CDC confirms two additional bird flu cases in Colorado
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[July 20, 2024]
(Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on
Friday confirmed two additional cases of bird flu in Colorado poultry
farm workers.
Last week, Colorado reported four confirmed infections of H5N1 bird flu
and was checking on the status of a fifth suspected case.
The two new cases were in poultry workers with exposure to infected
poultry during depopulation and disposal activities, the CDC said on
Friday.
The cases are part of an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu that has been
spreading globally in wild birds, infecting poultry and various species
of mammals.
The CDC said on Monday that it deployed a nine-member field team
comprising epidemiologists, veterinarians, clinicians and an industrial
hygienist to support Colorado's assessment of the outbreak and the human
cases.
Overall, the genetic analysis of the H5N1 virus in Colorado supports the
CDC's conclusion that the human health risk currently remains low, the
agency said.
The health agency also said preliminary results from blood samples
collected from 35 people who work in dairy farms in Michigan with
infected herds did not show neutralizing antibodies specific to the H5N1
virus.
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A person holds a test tube labelled "Bird Flu", in this picture
illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File
Photo
The CDC added that additional data
is necessary to fully understand the occupational risks of exposure
to the currently circulating avian influenza viruses.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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