Four Human Cases of Bird Flu Reported in Poultry Workers in Colorado

CDC has confirmed four human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 bird flu infections in the state of Colorado as of July 14.

In addition, there is a fifth presumptive-positive case in Colorado that has yet to be confirmed by CDC. All of the cases are in “farm workers who were involved in the depopulation of poultry at a poultry facility experiencing an outbreak of HPAI H5N1 virus.” CDC believes the risk to the public remains low, but the cases underscore “the risk of exposure to infected animals.”

The workers who tested positive reported mild illness, with symptoms including “conjunctivitis and eye tearing, as well as more typical flu symptoms of fever, chills, coughing, and sore throat/runny nose.” CDC continues to monitor workers and test specimens of the virus.

These cases are the first to be reported in poultry workers since 2022. Colorado reported a case of H5 “in a dairy worker on an affected farm” on July 3, demonstrating that the state is “experiencing ongoing H5N1 outbreaks in dairy and poultry farms.”

Healthcare Purchasing News has previously reported on bird flu outbreaks over the past several months.