5/23/24 - The Second Human Case Of Bird Flu Found In Michigan

A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu and has since recovered.

 - Health officials reported Wednesday that a second person in the United States has been infected with bird flu. 

The case was identified in a farm worker who had regular exposure to livestock-infected bird flu, or avian influenza.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the dairy worker was being monitored because of their work exposure to infected cattle and reported symptoms to local health officials.

MDHHS said the farm worker has since recovered and they will not be releasing any additional identifying information about the farmworker.

The MDHHS & the CDC say the risk to the general 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," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at MDHHS. "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."  "The current health risk to the general public remains low. This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point. This is exactly how public health is meant to work, in early detection and monitoring of new and emerging illnesses," the statement continued,"

The first human case of bird flu was identified in Texas last month and was also linked to cattle.  

MDHHS said it recommends seasonal flu vaccination for people working on poultry or dairy farms.