California’s first possible human bird flu case identified in farmworker
By Brenda Goodman, CNN
(CNN) — A farmworker in California has tested positive for H5N1 bird flu, the state’s first presumptive positive in a human. The worker’s specimens have been submitted to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The worker was on a dairy farm in California’s Central Valley with cows known to be infected with the bird flu virus and was caught by the health department’s testing of workers on the farm.
The person’s illness is mild. They presented with red eyes, or conjunctivitis, a sign that the eyes have been infected. They have been treated with antiviral medication and are staying home. The California Department of Public Health says the risk to the general public is low.
“Ongoing health checks of individuals who interact with potentially infected animals helped us quickly detect and respond to this possible human case. Fortunately, as we’ve seen in other states with human infections, the individual has experienced mild symptoms,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a news release. “We want to emphasize that the risk to the general public is low, and people who interact with potentially infected animals should take prevention measures. CDPH continues to support local health departments and farms with prevention recommendations, health checks and guidance on proper notification, testing and treatment.”
Fourteen human cases of avian flu have already been identified in the United States since March, most of them connected to ongoing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cattle. This is the first possible human case in California. Previous cases were identified in workers in Texas, Colorado and Michigan. Missouri has also identified a case in a patient who was not known to be exposed to animals.
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