Farmworkers Face Bird Flu Risk Despite No Symptoms

Imagine working on a farm and not feeling sick, but blood tests show you've been infected with bird flu. That's what happened to some dairy workers in Michigan and Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now wants all farmworkers near infected animals to get tested, even if they feel fine. This big change comes after a study found that 7% of 115 farmworkers tested positive for the H5N1 virus. That's more than the 46 farmworkers already identified in the U. S. All these workers had contact with infected dairy cows or poultry.

Experts say this move shows the CDC thinks the virus is more dangerous than first thought. Every infection gives the virus a chance to change. The study also shows that farmworkers might not be wearing proper protection. None of the workers with positive tests used face masks. Some used eye protection, but that's not enough. The virus has been found in high levels in the milk of infected cows. This increases the risk of exposure and infection. But efforts to monitor workers have been hindered by farm owners and workers not wanting to be tested. Some experts think the government's response has been slow. The virus has been found in cattle herds in 15 states. Recently, a pig in Oregon tested positive, the first time the virus has been detected in U. S. swine.

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