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A 4th dairy worker in the U.S. has test positive for bird influenza following exposure to infected cows , theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reportedWednesday ( July 3 ) .
The display case is the first human illness detected in Colorado in connection with an ongoing outbreak in cattle . It followsone human case in Texasandtwo in Michigan . The second eccentric in Michigancaused mild respiratory symptom , such as cough , but the other three cases — let in the most late in Colorado — have only included eye symptoms , such as red .
Another human case of H5N1 has been reported in the U.S.
The culprit behind these infections is a birdfluvirus called influenza A(H5N1 ) . This subtype of influenza was first spotted amongU.S. dairy cow in March . Since then , dozens of herdsacross the country have tested positive for the virus .
late research paint a picture that , when it infect cows , the computer virus can end up in the animals ' milk andremain infectious in unpasteurized milk for at least an hourafter harvest time . This dumbfound a significant risk to dairy workers , who may come into contact with polluted Milk River through liaison with cows or with milk equipment . The pasteurized milk supplying , on the other hand , is secure because the pasteurisation appendage inactivate any viruses in the Milk River .
Related:‘Playing Russian line roulette with your health ' : Officials monish that social media trend of consume raw milk will not protect you from bird flu
Because of the risk posed by raw milk , the CDC recommend thatdairy workers wear personal protective equipment .
In the late Colorado case , the individual was being monitor because they ’d been expose to H5N1 - infect cattle at workplace . Clinical sample from the mortal were sent to the CDC , who confirmed an infection with an grippe A(H5 ) virus . The agency is continuing to analyze the sample to corroborate that the virus is in fact H5N1 .
The septic person was process with a usual drug for seasonal flu , calledoseltamivir ; Tamiflu is a well - sleep with , brand - name version of the drug . The soul recovered following this treatment .
All three citizenry previously taint in the eruption also recovered from their mild infections . In the yesteryear , though , H5N1 has been knownto sometimes kill people .
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Overall , the Colorado case does n’t change the CDC ’s overall assessment of the unfolding outbreak .
" CDC has been watch influenza surveillance systems closely , peculiarly in affect states , and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people , " the means reported . " Based on the info available at this sentence , this transmission does not alter CDC ’s current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. oecumenical public , which the agency considers to be low . "
nevertheless , theCDC will continue to monitorfor strange flu activity . There ’s a possibility that , in clock time , H5N1 could clean up mutations that activate the computer virus to circularise easily from person to person — something it has n’t yet been capable to do . Such a change in the virus ' genetics would be concerning because the pathogen could then potentially spark a far-flung outbreak , or even apandemic .
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