Health officials have identified two more cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the U.S. state of Colorado, bringing the number of cases in the state to seven, news portal Agriculture reported on July 23.
On July 19, a worker at a commercial egg processing plant in northeastern Colorado in Weld County, where five other cases had occurred previously, was confirmed to have fallen ill. The next day, July 20, officials identified another case: an employee at another poultry plant in the same county.
Another Colorado resident contracted the virus from infected cattle earlier this month. A cluster of eight people in Colorado accounts for the majority of human bird flu cases in the country.
The recently infected workers had directly handled infected birds and experienced mild symptoms, such as a respiratory infection. USDA officials said last week that the heat may have interfered with the proper use of personal protective equipment, putting the workers at risk of contracting the virus.
Each of Colorado’s 13 counties has at least one poultry flock with an outbreak of avian influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 12 affected flocks in Weld County, representing more than 9 million birds. Colorado also has 28 livestock herds with confirmed cases, according to the USDA.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says the risk of avian influenza to the public is low and there is no evidence the virus is transmitted from person to person.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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