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Four Washington farm employees suspected of having bird flu, US CDC sends team to investigate
Four farm workers who helped tend poultry at a commercial egg farm in Washington are suspected of being infected with bird flu, making the state the sixth in the country to report human H5N1 infection this year. According to the CDC, they have sent teams to confirm the infection with the help of tests and are conducting health checks on exposed workers. Read on to know more.
Experts are now calling for seasonal flu vaccinations to reduce the risk of agricultural workers becoming infected with both bird flu and seasonal influenza.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is deploying teams to Washington state to assess the health of farm workers who handled poultry struck by bird flu, US health officials said, as four workers are suspected of being infected with the H5N1 virus. Is. If confirmed, the infections would make Washington the sixth state to identify human cases this year.
These cases are raising concern among experts, even as infections such as avian flu infections in dairy cattle and farm workers have scientists and federal officials worried about the risks to humans.
Following California, where four cases of bird flu were reported earlier this month, experts are now calling for seasonal flu vaccinations to reduce the risk of agricultural workers becoming infected with both bird flu and seasonal influenza .
According to experts, infection with both types of viruses increases the risk of bird flu spreading easily among people and potentially causing a pandemic. āWe donāt have evidence of transmission between people yet,ā said Roberto Bonaccorso, a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Health.
The CDC is sending a team to Washington to assess the situation
The CDC says it is waiting for confirmation from the samples and is sending a team to Washington to support the stateās assessment of farm workers, an agency spokesperson said. Even though the risk to the public from the spread in cattle is low, the CDC says the risk is increased for people who come in contact with infected animals.
Symptoms of bird flu seen in workers
According to the state health department, those suspected to be infected were working in egg farms and their use of protective gear has been irregular. The staff are said to be suffering from conjunctivitis as well as mild breathing problems ā a common sign of bird flu ā and have been given antiviral medication.
The health department says workers were removing carcasses and garbage and cleaning facilities where about 800,000 chickens were slaughtered. According to the Washington Department of Agriculture, the farm was hit by a strain of the virus from wild birds.
More than 27 people have been found infected with the virus so far this year, however, all but one were known to have come in contact with infected poultry or dairy cattle.
More than 100 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have perished in the US due to the virus since the outbreak began in the country in 2022.
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