bird flu

Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested even if they show no symptoms, according to new guidance issued after eight workers tested positive in Michigan and Colorado.

So far, all nine cases reported nationally this year at dairy and poultry farms have been mild, consisting of respiratory symptoms and eye irritation.

The worker, who had direct contact with infected cows, experienced an eye infection and has since recovered after receiving antiviral treatment.

Experts fear human exposure to the virus can cause it to adapt and spread among humans and create a pandemic. For now, the risk is low.

Health authorities say the man died from a type of bird flu called H5N2 that has never before been found in a human. It isn't known how the man became infected.

The spread of an avian flu virus in cattle has again brought public health attention to the potential for a global pandemic. Fighting it would depend, for now, on 1940s technology that makes vaccines from hens’ eggs.

The dairy worker had mild eye symptoms from the infection and has recovered, health officials said. The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected.

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