2nd MI Farmworker Tests Positive For Bird Flu: Officials

MICHIGAN — A second Michigan farmworker has tested positive for bird flu that's connected with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

The farmer was working at a different farm from where Michigan's first human case was found earlier this month, officials said.

Officials said that the farmer had regular exposure to infected livestock and had mild symptoms, which have full recovered.

In this new case, the farmer was quickly provided antivirals and is recovering from respiratory symptoms, officials said.

Officials said neither farmer who caught the flu was wearing full personal protective equipment while working with the infected cows, meaning direct exposure to infected livestock poses a risk to humans.

While officials said this case in a second farmworker is not surprising, they believe the risk of human spread in the public remains low.

"Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan. Farmworkers who have been exposed to impacted animals have been asked to report even mild symptoms, and testing for the virus has been made available," MDHSS Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian said.

This virus in Michigan has been connected with the ongoing multistate outbreak of influenza A (H5N1), often referred to as bird flu, which is a highly contagious virus that can spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, as well as through infected poultry, equipment and clothing and shoes of caretakers, according to state officials.

In early April, officials detected a form of the bird flu from a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, roughly 40 miles outside Lansing. That facility was under quarantine and the birds were put down to prevent the flu from spreading, according to state officials.

Michigan health officials previously confirmed the virus had been found in 19 dairy herds in the state. Nationally, the virus was found in at least 51 dairy herds across nine states, including Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A Texas farmworker was first diagnosed in late March, becoming the first known instance across the world of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal. That person's symptoms also fully recovered, according to health officials.

If you notice an influx of dead birds or poultry in your area, it could be a sign of an avian influenza outbreak. You should contact MDARD immediately at 800-292-3939 or after-hours at 517-373-0440.