Two California dairy workers infected with bird flu, CDC says amid outbreaks in cows
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Two California dairy workers have been infected with bird flu, state and federal health officials announced late Thursday.
The cases mark California’s first human infections amid outbreaks across the U.S. that have now infected 16 people this year. There is no known link between the workers, who were at different dairy farms with infected animals. In a news release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases suggested cows – which have been getting infected with H5N1 avian influenza in California – passed bird flu to the workers.
Both workers had come in contact with infected cows in the Central Valley, an agricultural hub that’s home to California’s dairy production. California produces the most dairy milk by state.
The two workers had mild symptoms, including eye redness, according to the California Department of Public Health. This symptom has been seen among other livestock workers infected with bird flu in the U.S. The two workers showed no respiratory problems, the state health agency said in an update. Neither were hospitalized.
Earlier Thursday, officials had identified one worker presumed to have bird flu after testing positive by a local laboratory. Confirmatory testing by the CDC showed the first worker had H5N1, and the second worker also returned a positive result for bird flu, the federal agency said Thursday. State officials had been investigating the second worker, and sent samples to CDC that showed the state's second positive result.
Federal and state health officials have said the risk to the general public is still low.
Before the two California workers, 14 people have been infected with bird flu in a handful of states since this spring. The vast majority were farmworkers who worked in close contact with infected livestock.
Since late August, California dairy herds have been identified with bird flu. As of Tuesday, state officials have identified 44 dairies with infected cows.