By Tom Polansek

October 21, 20241:59 PM PDTUpdated a day ago

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bird-flu-cases-presumed-four-washington-farm-workers-state-says-2024-10-21/

CHICAGO, Oct 21 (Reuters) – The CDC is deploying a team to Washington state to assess the health of farm workers who culled poultry suffering from bird flu after four workers are presumed to have been infected by the virus, U.S. and state health officials said on Monday.

The infections would make Washington the sixth state to identify human cases this year.

The cases fuel growing concern among public health experts, as infections of U.S. dairy cattle and more than two dozen farm workers have worried scientists and federal officials about the risks to humans.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

California and Washington have said they are seeking to administer seasonal flu vaccines to farm workers to reduce their risk of being infected with both bird flu and seasonal influenza.

Infections with both types of virus simultaneously could increase the risk of changes that could make bird flu spread more easily in people and potentially cause a pandemic, virologists say.

“We don’t have evidence yet of transmission between people,” said Roberto Bonaccorso, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Health.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is awaiting specimens for testing from Washington and sending a team to support the state’s assessment of farm workers, an agency spokesperson said. The risk to the public from the outbreak in cattle remains low, but those with exposure to infected animals are at heightened risk, according to the CDC.

The four tested presumptively positive after working at an infected egg farm, Washington’s health department said, adding their use of protective gear was inconsistent. The workers suffered mild respiratory symptoms and conjunctivitis, and were given antiviral medication, officials said.

The workers were removing carcasses and litter and cleaning facilities where about 800,000 chickens were culled, the health department said. The farm was hit by a strain of the virus from wild birds, according to Washington’s agriculture department.

Nationwide, 27 people had tested positive for the virus in 2024 before the cases in Washington. All but one had known exposure to infected poultry or dairy cattle.

The outbreak in northern Utah is the first the state has seen this year.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Chickens managed by Phillip Gleason on his 2 acre lot are pictured on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, as he works on his multi phase plan to be self reliant at Riverbed Ranch, a remote community he founded in the western desert of Utah.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2024/10/18/bird-flu-hits-utah-requiring/

By Clarissa Casper

  | Oct. 18, 2024, 5:00 a.m.

Comment

Cache Valley • The onset of fall has brought cooler temperatures and bright colors. It has also brought birds — flocks of migrating waterfowl that chant their calls to each other in the sky each evening.

But with the birds comes disease.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has taken over a commercial poultry flock in Cache County, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. An estimated 1.6 to 1.8 million chickens have been quarantined and are in the process of being killed, according to state veterinarian Daniel Christensen, who said this is the biggest outbreak the state has seen in recent years.

Why Joseph Smith was slain and why it was about more than religion

“These poor guys,” Christensen said.

Subscribe To Top Stories Newsletter

Get the latest news by subscribing to our Top Stories newsletter. Enter your email below to receive more stories like these right to your inbox.

https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeqZHcoAAAAAPuo2btWSPwSV60Y2_bOww-daPJO&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2x0cmliLmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=lqsTZ5beIbCkK4uGEGv9JmUR&size=normal&cb=11ulbj2uj43fSubscribe

The illness was discovered last week after the poultry farm reported an unusually high mortality rate among its flock. Upon hearing this, the state agriculture department immediately tested the birds and quarantined the facility to prevent further spread.

https://e4cdc830f4c52dec4f17cf6a57f34bcd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Report this ad

Depopulation — the euthanasia of infected birds — is necessary in these cases, Christensen said, and it must happen as quickly as possible to prevent the spread of the virus while ensuring the animals don’t experience unnecessary suffering or stress.

The state did not name the facility affected by the outbreak.

The bird flu is spread by migratory waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, which are currently on their fall migration through Utah. Though the illness is often fatal to domestic poultry like chickens and turkeys, migratory birds typically carry the virus without showing severe symptoms, Christensen said.

“We were hoping we were going to make it through this year without an outbreak,” he said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but it’s reasonable to expect that for a while, we’re going to be seeing stuff like this every fall.”

Christensen said the outbreak currently is limited to the one commercial poultry facility and does not pose an immediate public health risk. While the flu is devastating to poultry, the risk to people is low. Though a few people have reported mild symptoms in the past, like pink eye, after exposure to infected birds, Christensen said such cases are rare and not a major cause for concern.

Report this ad

What Utahns should be concerned about, however, is their backyard poultry. Christensen said it is crucial for poultry owners to have biosecurity measures in place. These include limiting access to their flock, practicing strict hygiene, quarantining new or sick birds, preventing contact with wild birds and monitoring the health of flocks daily.

“We see this from time to time,” Christensen said, “where someone will have a stream going through their property, and ducks get in the stream and then mix with their chickens, and then all their chickens die.”

Signs of a flu outbreak in poultry include a sudden high death rate in flocks, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and lack of coordination. If your birds show any of these signs, contact the state veterinarian’s office at statevet@utah.gov.