Bird flu cases in people tick up: Dozens reported across 6 states
Four new cases of bird flu were detected in farmworkers in Washington state this week. Human infections have cropping in six states as the virus spreads among farm animals.
Four new cases of avian influenza were detected in farmworkers in Washington state this week, the latest in a drumbeat of human infections cropping up across the U.S. as the virus continues to spread among farm animals.
Washington is the sixth state to report human cases of bird flu, which has spread rampantly in wild birds, poultry and cattle. Assuming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the state’s positive tests, they will bring the U.S. tally to at least 31.
Flu experts said the risk of a broader outbreak among humans will continue to simmer if the virus remains uncontrolled in animals.
“The longer this virus hangs out in the environment, the more animals it spills over into, the more it changes in ways we don’t understand or predict, the more concerned we are going to be that this becomes the next global pandemic,” said Dr. Amber Itle, the Washington state veterinarian.
For now, however, health officials maintain that the virus has not made key genetic changes that would allow it to spread between people.
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