CDC confirms 2 human cases of bird flu after outbreak on Washington farm
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed two human cases of avian influenza in Washington on Thursday following an outbreak on a commercial poultry farm.
The cases were from farm workers in Franklin County who were exposed to infected birds, according to the CDC, noting the workers were not severely ill and were not hospitalized.
While the confirmed test results mark Washington's first-ever human cases of bird flu, the CDC said there is no evidence of human transmission at this time.
The CDC is waiting for test results for other potential cases after the Washington Department of Health announced Monday that four agricultural workers tested presumptively positive for bird flu and were waiting on confirmation from the CDC. The workers experienced mild symptoms and were treated with antiviral medication, officials said.
The outbreak on the farm led to 800,000 birds being euthanized after a test from the Washington Department of Health on Oct. 15 found they all tested positive.
While county, state, and federal health officials have staff on site investigating the exposure, they are also testing other workers and providing personal protective equipment to stop further spread of the virus.
Bird flu is caused by avian influenza Type A viruses that naturally occur in wild aquatic birds. The virus can infect other bird species and mammals officials said, adding the virus can be deadly to poultry species such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, or guinea fowl.
According to the CDC, seasonal flu shots do not protect against bird flu, but the vaccine does make it less likely for a person to become infected with both the seasonal flu and bird flu at the same time. Co-infections increase the risk of a bird flu strain arising that could easily spread between humans, the agency said.
Employees or contractors who may have worked on a poultry farm in Benton or Franklin counties since Oct. 7, 2024, are urged to contact the Benton-Franklin Health Department if they have flu-like symptoms including red eyes, fever, cough, or sore throat.
The CDC considers the risk to the general public to be low; however, people with exposures to infected birds, cattle, or other potentially impacted animals are at a higher risk of catching the virus and should take precautions such as wearing PPE.