Health officials confirmed on Sunday that four poultry workers in Colorado have been diagnosed with bird flu, marking the latest cases in the ongoing outbreak. This brings the total number of human bird flu cases in the United States to nine since the first case of the current outbreak was detected in 2022. Notably, eight of these cases have been reported this year.
The affected workers exhibited relatively mild symptoms, including reddened and irritated eyes, fever, chills, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose. None of the individuals required hospitalization. Health officials indicated that a fifth person showing symptoms is currently undergoing testing, with results pending.
The workers were involved in culling infected poultry at a farm in northeast Colorado. According to state health officials, all had direct contact with infected birds, highlighting the occupational risk associated with handling infected livestock.
The bird flu virus, known as H5N1, has been spreading among various mammals, including dogs, cats, skunks, bears, seals, and porpoises, across numerous countries since 2020. Earlier this year, the virus was detected in U.S. livestock and is now circulating in cattle across several states.
Despite these developments, health officials maintain that the threat to the general public remains low, as the virus has not shown evidence of spreading between humans. Nevertheless, vigilance is crucial, as earlier strains of H5N1 have been deadly to humans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dispatched a nine-person team to Colorado to assist with the investigation at the state’s request. This move underscores the importance of monitoring and managing the outbreak to prevent further spread.
Previous cases of bird flu this year were reported among dairy farm workers in Michigan, Texas, and Colorado, all of whom had direct contact with infected birds. The virus detected in the latest cases is at least partly identical to the type found in earlier U.S. cases, though further genetic analysis is ongoing to confirm this.
As of Friday, the H5N1 virus has been confirmed in 152 dairy herds across 12 states, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Additionally, hundreds of commercial poultry flocks in more than 30 states have reported cases of H5N1 or other types of bird flu.
Health officials continue to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the importance of safety measures for workers in direct contact with potentially infected animals to mitigate the risk of further transmission.
