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Five California farmworkers have mild cases of bird flu, says state

On the same day the CDC confirmed the third human case of bird flu in California, state officials said Wednesday that they had identified two more possible infections, also farmworkers in the Central Valley. In less than six weeks, California has become the U.S. hot spot for bird flu, with one-third of all the infected dairy herds in the country and all of the human cases since Sept. 6.


“While the risk to the general public remains low, additional human cases of bird flu are expected to be identified and confirmed in California among individuals who have contact with infected dairy cattle,” said the state Department of Public Health.


All five of the California cases were dairy farm workers who experienced mild symptoms, including eye redness or discharge. None were hospitalized. Not counting the two latest illnesses, 17 people have been infected by the avian flu virus this year. All but one, reported in Missouri on Sept. 6, were dairy or poultry workers.


By Chuck Abbott

Published on October 10, 2024


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