2nd human case of bird flu in US confirmed in state of Michigan

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, US (AA) - The second human case of bird flu in the US was confirmed in the state of Michigan on Wednesday, according to state health officials.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said the case of bird flu virus was identified in a farmworker who had "regular exposure to livestock infected with influenza."

"Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan," said MDHHS chief medical executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian in a statement. "Farmworkers who have been exposed to impacted animals have been asked to report even mild symptoms, and testing for the virus has been made available."

Bagdasarian said that early detection and monitoring of new and emerging cases of bird flu were exactly what public health officials wanted in order to stay ahead of any outbreaks.

"The current health risk to the general public remains low," she continued. "This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point."

The first human case of bird flu in the US was identified in March in the state of Texas. Health officials said that case was also linked to cattle, with the infected farmworker having worked directly with sick dairy cows. The Texas case was also the first known case globally of a person catching the current strain of bird flu from a mammal.

The symptoms of the farmers in both states included eye inflammation, and both workers did not suffer any serious complications from the virus.

Scientists said bird flu has been spreading around the world among more animal species since 2020, including dogs, cats, bears, skunks, seals and porpoises.

However, the detection of the virus in US livestock has now raised concerns about food safety and whether bird flu could start spreading more prevalently in humans.

The US Department of Agriculture said that as of Wednesday, bird flu had been confirmed in 51 dairy herds in nine states, with 15 of those herds being in Michigan.

The virus has also been found in high levels in the raw milk of infected cows, but government officials said that dairy products sold in grocery stores are safe because they have been pasteurized and that the heat treatment of those foods has been confirmed to kill the virus.