Three poultry workers at a northeastern Colorado farm are suspected of contracting bird flustate and federal health officials announced Friday.
The three people tested positive for the H5N1 virus, also known as avian influenza, while working at a “commercial egg-laying operation,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a statement.
Poultry at the farm were culled when they showed mild symptoms, including conjunctivitis and common respiratory infections, the agency said. None required hospitalization.
Samples were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing.
The CDC said the three men worked “at a poultry facility experiencing an outbreak of H5N1 virus that is circulating in wild birds and has caused outbreaks in multiple states in dairy cattle and poultry.”
Since March, there have been four confirmed human cases of bird flu in the United States, all in farm workers, including two in Michigan, one in Texas And one in Coloradosaid the CDC.
In the latter case, a farmworker in northern Colorado suffered conjunctivitis after coming into direct contact with livestock infected with bird flu, CDPHE previously reported.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, outbreaks of avian influenza have been confirmed in 152 cattle herds so far this year.
The CDC said the risk to the public from avian influenza remains low, noting that “there is no evidence of an unexpected increase in influenza activity in Colorado or other states experiencing outbreaks of H5 avian influenza in cows and poultry.”
However, she added that “human infections with this novel influenza virus (and others) are concerning because of their potential to cause serious illness.”
Federal officials are considering whether and when to deploy troops. 4.8 million doses bird flu vaccine. Finland announced last month that it would offer vaccines to workers who might be exposed to the virus.
— Alexander Tin contributed to this report.
