US expands bird flu testing to all farm workers exposed to infected animals

Nov 8

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

Concerns over the spread of bird flu are prompting the United States government to make changes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday, Nov. 7, that all farm workers exposed to animals with bird flu should be tested for the virus even if they have not experienced symptoms.

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The CDC’s new recommendation comes as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also expanding testing of milk for bird flu.

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The department announced last week that it would begin testing bulk milk for bird flu. This comes after mounting pressure from industry and veterinary groups.

Meanwhile, workers are reportedly avoiding testing over economic concerns or because their symptoms are mild. Infectious disease experts note that as the virus spreads, the risk of it moving to human-to-human increases, which could spark a pandemic.

The CDC has reported 46 human cases of bird flu since April. However, scientists believe the numbers are higher due to underreporting.

Recent tests among 115 dairy workers in Michigan and Colorado who were exposed to infected cows found evidence of a prior infection in eight workers. Of those eight workers who showed antibodies to H5N1, only half said they recalled experiencing symptoms from the virus.

These findings show the federal response to the outbreak has been lackluster, according to researchers. They added the studies should’ve been done months ago and should’ve been prioritized.

The CDC’s expanded testing comes after two pigs on an Oregon farm tested positive for the virus a week apart. Virologists say the findings are concerning because pig infections have been a source of prior human pandemics.