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A third person has now tested positive for H5N1 in the US, the second case detected Michiganthe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday.
A farm worker who had contact with sick cows tested positive for the virus. This new case does not appear to indicate human-to-human transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza because it was found on a different farm than the previous case in Michigan, officials said.
Only 39 people in the US were tested for H5N1 during the 2024 outbreak. According to to the CDC. More than 350 people are being monitored for symptoms, including 220 people in Michigan, officials said.
H5N1 was also recent discovered in the muscles of a dairy cow intended for beef consumption. No additional virus particles were found in other beef samples and the infected meat did not enter the food supply, USDA officials said.
The USDA also announced Thursday $824 million in new funding to protect livestock health during this outbreak. The agency has yet to announce plans to reimburse affected farms for lost production, which could help stimulate case reporting.
This is the first time in the U.S. outbreak that a person with H5N1 has shown respiratory symptoms, unlike the previous two cases with only conjunctivitis, known as “pink eye.”
Respiratory symptoms are worrisome because they “increase the chances of exposing someone to the virus compared to conjunctival symptoms,” Dr. Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, told reporters Thursday. “Someone who is coughing may be more likely to transmit the virus than someone who has an eye infection such as conjunctivitis.”
But no close contacts, including other farm workers, have reported symptoms so far, he said.
“To date, none of this individual’s close contacts have developed or reported any symptoms and have been offered Tamiflu,” Shah added.
The man was given flu antiviral drugs and is “recovering,” he said.
Officials have not “seen anything in our genetic analysis so far that suggests changes in the virus that could make it more easily transmissible among humans,” Shah said.
Shah noted that the second human case in Michigan was not unexpected, saying, “Really, the team in Michigan, to their credit, is actively identifying workers who may be sick, and that’s helping us make sure those workers are appropriate treatment suggested. “
While many farmers and farm workers across the country are reluctant to get tested, Michigan is an outlier. Cases of bird flu in humans were discovered through their monitoring program, which includes daily text messages to check for symptoms – even mild symptoms like eye irritation.
Michigan officials are also conducting serology tests to find out if farm workers were infected with H5N1.
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Shah stressed the importance of using personal protective equipment for workers in close contact with animals, but acknowledged the difficulties of wearing such equipment in the hot summer weather.
The CDC asked states to continue flu surveillance during the summer, a time when surveillance typically slows due to low virus circulation.
“CDC has recently taken steps to improve summer flu surveillance. Specifically, CDC is working with commercial laboratories to increase their admission of positive influenza samples to public health laboratories during this typically low summer season of influenza activity,” Shah said.
The CDC ordered 4.8 m H5N1 vaccines that appear to be a good match for this strain, and they are considering vaccination of agricultural workers and others at risk.
The CDC does not currently recommend H5N1 vaccination for anyone, even farm workers.
“Right now there is no one for whom vaccination is recommended,” said David Boucher, director of the Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Division at the Strategic Readiness and Response Administration. “But that’s obviously something we’re always looking for.”
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