Bird flu cases are likely being missed in dairy workers, experts say
Are cases of bird flu being missed in dairy workers? Experts say it's likely that there are some cases going unreported. Protecting dairy workers should be a top priority.
Dr. Barb Petersen, a dairy veterinarian in Amarillo, Texas, had been caring for sick cows for several weeks in March when she and a colleague finally pinned down the cause of the illness among the herd: the H5N1 strain of the bird flu.
It was the first time the virus had been detected in cattle.
The sick cows, said Petersen, who owns Sunrise Veterinary Service, tended to produce milk that didn’t look quite right, and had mastitis, an inflammation of the udders.
During that same time, she said, dairy workers — including those who were never in close contact with the sick cows — also fell ill.
“People had some classic flu-like symptoms, including high fever, sweating at night, chills, lower back pain,” as well as upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea, Petersen said. “They also tended to have “pretty severe conjunctivitis and swelling of their eyelids.”
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