YAKIMA, Wash. — On Oct. 15, the Yakima Health District, in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Health, reported a confirmed case of bird flu in a Yakima County resident.
This infected resident is a dairy worker who was exposed to the infected cattle at one of the Yakima County dairy farms that reported Washington’s first known cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle.
The resident has not experienced severe illnesses or been hospitalized, but the individual is isolating at home, the YHD mentioned in a statement.
Despite this confirmation, the risk of bird flu infection to the general public is still very low. The people at the greatest risk of infection include dairy workers and anyone else who has had close or prolonged contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.
Transmission of avian influenza between humans is extremely rare and has never been documented in the United States, YHD noted, but to ensure that human-to-human spread isn’t happening, public officials are contacting anyone who may have had contact with the infected resident.
“We are working closely with our public health partners to follow up with people who have been in close contact with this individual,” Dr. Dave Atteberry, health officer, Yakima Health District, said. “We want to make sure they know what symptoms to watch for and can access testing and treatment if needed.”
Since the initial dairy cattle detection, YHD has been in contact with the affected dairies to protect the health of people who may have been exposed to the infected cattle.
YHD continues to coordinate with state and federal public health partners to provide guidance and resources to help protect exposed individuals, including providing tests for exposed individuals who develop symptoms to support diagnosis and appropriate medical care, YHD stated.
YHD is also working with partners to connect affected dairies with appropriate personal protective equipment for the workers, YHD added.
For more information about avian influenza in birds, cattle, and humans, visit the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website.
