Four agricultural workers “working with infected poultry at a commercial egg farm” in Washington state have tested positive for bird flu, in the first human cases of H5N1 virus to be reported in the state. Photo by klimkin/Pixabay
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Oct. 23 (UPI) — Four agricultural workers in Washington state have tested positive for bird flu, in the first human cases of H5N1 virus to be reported in the state.
The four farmers were “working with infected poultry at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County,” the Washington State Department of Health announced Sunday. “The individuals experienced mild symptoms and have been provided with antiviral medication.”
Symptoms in humans include eye redness and mild flu-like respiratory symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 800,000 birds were euthanized after the workers tested positive for human avian influenza, which was first reported Oct. 15 by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Washington is the sixth state to identify a human infection of avian flu, which has caused ongoing multi-state outbreaks in poultry, dairy, cattle and wildlife. These latest cases bring the U.S. total to at least 31 across Washington, California, Texas, Michigan, Colorado and Missouri.
“Washington has monitored the spread of H5N1 closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the knowledge, relationships and tools to minimize its impacts on our community,” said Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah.
The CDC said Tuesday it was sending a federal team to Washington to investigate.
While the risk to the public remains low, Washington state veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle warned the virus could spread to more humans if it remains uncontrolled in animals.
“The longer this virus hangs out in the environment, the more animals it spills over into, the more it changes in ways we don’t understand or predict, the more concerned we are going to be that this becomes the next global pandemic,” Itle said.
Currently, the virus cannot spread between people. Wild birds spread the virus to poultry and livestock on farms through their droppings or saliva.
According to the CDC, more than 103 million birds have been sickened or killed in the current avian flu outbreak, which has been detected in poultry in 48 states. Approximately 330 dairy herds have been affected.
