UNITED STATES NEWS

Two California dairy workers were infected with bird flu, latest human cases in US

Oct 3, 2024, 3:05 PM

FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an animal caretaker collects a...

FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an animal caretaker collects a blood sample from a dairy calf vaccinated against bird flu in a containment building at the National Animal Disease Center research facility in Ames, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (USDA Agricultural Research Service via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(USDA Agricultural Research Service via AP, File)

Two dairy workers in California were infected with bird flu, the 15th and 16th human cases detected this year in an ongoing outbreak affecting the nation’s dairy cows, health officials said Thursday.

The latest cases were found in workers who had contact with infected cattle in California’s Central Valley, where more than 50 herds have been affected since August. The workers developed eye redness known as conjunctivitis and had mild symptoms.

California health officials said the workers were employed at different farms and there is no known link between the two cases, suggesting that they were infected through animal contact, not by people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday confirmed the positive test results, the first for California. CDC officials said new cases of bird flu in people exposed to infected animals is “not unexpected.” The risk to the public remains low, they added.

Across the U.S., more than 250 dairy herds have been infected in 14 states since the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in March. Avian influenza has been spreading in wild and domestic birds in the U.S. for several years but recently was found in dairy cows.

Before this year, one case of bird flu was detected in a person, a Colorado poultry worker who fell ill in 2022. Most cases this year have been detected in workers who had contact with cattle or poultry in Colorado, Michigan and Texas. A person in Missouri was also infected, but that person had no known contact with animals and the source of that illness has not been determined.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

United States News

Associated Press

AP Race Call: Republican David Schweikert wins reelection to U.S. House in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District

Republican Rep. David Schweikert won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Arizona on Sunday. The Maricopa County district was a top target for Democrats, who narrowly missed flipping it in the 2022 midterms, falling less than 1 percentage point short. Schweikert is one of 16 Republicans who represent a congressional district that President Joe […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

California voters reject proposed ban on forced prison labor in any form

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters have rejected a measure amending the state Constitution to ban forced labor in any form. The constitution currently bans it except as punishment for crime. That exemption became a target of criminal justice advocates who are concerned about prison labor conditions. People who are incarcerated are often paid less […]

2 hours ago

Donald Trump Justice Department...

Associated Press

Justice Department brings criminal charges in Iranian murder-for-hire plan targeting Donald Trump

The Justice Department has unsealed criminal charges in a thwarted Iranian plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump before this week’s presidential election.

3 hours ago

In this Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 photo, a rhesus macaques monkey observes kayakers as they navigate al...

Associated Press

24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — More than half of the monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a compound in South Carolina last week have now been recovered unharmed, officials said Sunday. Twenty-four monkeys were captured on Sunday, a day after another of the 43 escaped monkeys was recovered. A “sizeable group” remains active along […]

3 hours ago

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump sits with Susie Wiles as he attends t...

Associated Press

Trump pressures candidates for Senate GOP leader to fill his Cabinet right away

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before Senate Republicans pick their new leader, President-elect Donald Trump is pressuring the candidates to change the rules and empower him to appoint some nominees without a Senate vote. Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida are running in a secret ballot […]

4 hours ago

A burned vehicle sits among a destroyed home in the Mountain Fire, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Ca...

Associated Press

Fire crews gain greater control over destructive Southern California wildfire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Favorable weather conditions helped fire crews gain more control over a Southern California wildfire that has destroyed 134 structures and damaged dozens more, authorities reported Sunday. Crews increased containment of the Mountain Fire to 26% in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles, up from 21% on Saturday night. The fire’s size […]

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Morris Hall

West Hunsaker, through Morris Hall, supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR’s Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care

The best methods to make your back pain disappear for good

Are you struggling with back pain that will not go away?

...

Bright Wealth Management

Here’s how to save money on retirement planning

PHOENIX -- With inflation still going on, people planning on retiring still face many issues on when they can retire and how much money they need to achieve it.

Two California dairy workers were infected with bird flu, latest human cases in US