Public health officials in Colorado have issued a warning: this year’s fourth case of H5N1 bird flu has been detected in humans. Residents should avoid contact with sick animals at all cost.
The warning was issued by the CDPHE (the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment). In a Wednesday press release, it said that the new case of bird flu was identified in a man who had been in close contact with an infected cow on a dairy farm in Colorado’s northern region.
The recent string of bird flu cases in humans, which have been scattered across the American midwest, are linked to an outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy herds across the country. Every human-transmitted case has involved a worker on a dairy farm. Two were detected among Michigan farmworkers in May, and the other showed up in Texas on the first of April.
The CDC (America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), in commenting on the July 3rd press release, said that the dairy worker in Colorado was treated with oseltamivir, an antiviral drug, and made a complete recovery from the only symptom he developed: a raging case of “pink eye” (conjunctivitis).
The public is cautioned by CDPHE against touching dead or sick animals. They also made a point of emphasizing that consuming pasteurized milk is safe, and that if poultry, meat, and eggs are properly handled and cooked, all bacteria and viruses they may be contaminated with will be destroyed, including the viruses that cause the various flavors of bird flu.
Cooks are directed to wash their hands in soap and water after handling such animal products. If soap and water are unavailable, such individuals should clean their hands using an alcohol-based sterilizing hand gel.
The CDC says that it is continuing to assess the risk posed to the general population, but currently it believes that the risk of mass transmission to the public are low, while dairy workers face an elevated risk level.
