Kinkini Gupta
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Bird Flu Outbreak In US: 4 Agricultural Workers Suspected To Be Positive
Bird flu cases are on a steady rise in the United States including a number of human infections which has sparked concerns. Concerns are also there for the possibility of it spreading even further. The total number of human infections have increased to 31 as per reports. This week the first case of avian influenza was reported from Washington state also. Along with that 4 more people, agricultural workers are suspected to be infected with bird flu after working with infected birds at an egg farm in Franklin County.
As per reports from the state's health department, the workers reported facing mild symptoms and were also administered antiviral medication. More people from the same farm were also tested and 800,000 birds were euthanized as precautionary measures. Washington is the sixth state to identify a human infected with the H5N1 virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially reported that cases are specifically from the states California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri and Texas.
The highly contagious virus is transmitted through infected saliva, mucous, and the feces of infected birds. It can also pass through the bodily fluids, organs, blood and respiratory discharge of other animals. Humans are infected when the virus enters the eyes, nose, mouth or is inhaled. Infection ranges in severity, but can lead to acute disease that results in death.
People reported experiencing symptoms like:
As of now, reports say that California has witnessed the most infections with 13 cases occurring in dairy workers, all of whom had mild symptoms. Some of them also reported experiencing symptoms like eye redness and discharge. Fortunately, none were hospitalised. As per reports, a dairy worker from Texas who was diagnosed with bird flu experienced a strange and severe symptom. He reported experiencing bleeding in his eyes.