By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO, – Bird flu is presumed to have contaminated 4 poultry employees in Washington state, making it the sixth U.S. state to establish human instances this yr, in line with the Washington State Department of Health.
Washington is investigating different attainable exposures and has examined 25 folks, the division stated Monday.
The new instances gasoline rising concern amongst public well being consultants, because the virus’ bounce to dairy cattle this yr and infections of farm employees have anxious scientists and federal officers in regards to the dangers to people.
Officials in California and Washington have stated they’re searching for to manage seasonal flu vaccines to farm employees in an effort to cut back their danger of being contaminated with each fowl flu and seasonal influenza.
Infections with each forms of virus concurrently may improve the chance of modifications that might make fowl flu unfold extra simply in folks and probably trigger a pandemic, virologists say.
“We do not have proof but of transmission between folks,” stated Roberto Bonaccorso, spokesperson for Washington’s well being division.
Washington despatched samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for closing affirmation and evaluation, the division reported on Sunday. The CDC had no instant touch upon Monday.
The 4 examined presumptively optimistic after working at a industrial egg farm contaminated by the virus, Washington’s well being division stated. They skilled gentle signs and got antiviral medicine, the division stated, including that their use of protecting gear was inconsistent.
About 800,000 chickens had been culled on the egg farm after birds examined optimistic in Washington’s first outbreak this yr, state officers stated. The employees had been eradicating carcasses and litter and cleansing the amenities the place chickens had been culled, in line with the well being division.
Nationwide, 27 folks had examined optimistic in 2024 earlier than the instances in Washington, because the virus has unfold to poultry farms and, for the primary time, to dairy herds throughout the nation. All however one of many folks had recognized publicity to contaminated poultry or dairy cattle.
More than 100 million U.S. chickens, turkeys and different birds have been eradicated by the virus for the reason that nation’s outbreak started in 2022.
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