A microbiologist tests poultry samples collected for the presence of avian influenza, or bird flu, at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on March 24, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Four agricultural workers in southeast Washington have preliminarily tested positive for bird flu after working with an infected poultry flock at a commercial egg farm.
The cases, if confirmed, would be the first time people in Washington have contracted the virus since officials began tracking its rise across the U.S., in birds and other animals, starting in 2022. Since then, about two dozen human cases have been detected across five other states – all but one tied to people coming into contact with infected animals.
Health officials emphasized that the four positive cases in Washington are “presumptive,” pending final confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The farm workers who appear to have the virus have exhibited mild symptoms and none have been hospitalized health officials said during an online press conference on Sunday.
Dr. Steven Krager, the local health officer for the Benton Franklin Health District, said the workers had shown signs of mild upper respiratory illness, including runny nose, sore throat, and mild cough, as well as conjunctivitis – often referred to as “pink eye.”
Risks to the general public from the disease is still considered low, according to the CDC. But health officials have been on the lookout for human-to-human spread or more serious illness from the disease in humans. Illness in the cases so far has generally been mild.
There are no signs at this time of human-to-human spread with the Washington cases, state and local health officials said.
The outbreak at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County involved a flock of 800,000 birds. Test results on Oct. 15 showed the poultry were infected with bird flu. Testing for people showing symptoms of the virus was arranged on Friday and results indicating that they were positive came back late Saturday, Krager said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.