Avian influenza risk low, says CDC
States asked to be ready with rapid testing
9 April 2024
1 minute read
By: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday avian influenza risk to the public remains low even as it asked the state public health officials to be prepared to respond, reported Reuters.
The agency asked for plans to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds.
It also encouraged state health officials to communicate about any challenges they are facing.
Earlier Texas and the CDC had reported a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus.
The farm worker from Texas was reported to be infected on April 1, making it the second case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, identified in a person in the United States.
The avian influenza has also spread to dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan and Idaho - the first time the virus has infected cattle.
