Avian flu found in Michigan farmworker, 2nd case linked to US dairy cows
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found in a Michigan resident, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.
According to MDHHS, the person diagnosed with influenza A (H5) worked on a farm and was regularly exposed to infected livestock. The person had minor eye symptoms and has recovered, the department says. It did not release any further details about the person or the farm.
A nasal swab from the person tested negative for the virus, but an eye swab tested positive, “indicating an eye infection,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.
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The Michigan case seems to be “a sporadic infection with no associated ongoing spread person-to-person,” according to the department.
The first dairy-related case happened in late March, when a farmworker in Texas was diagnosed in what officials called the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal. That patient also reported only eye inflammation and recovered. In 2022, before the virus had been detected among cows, a prison inmate in Colorado got sick while killing infected birds at a poultry farm. The only symptom he experienced was fatigue, officials said, and he recovered.
Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been spreading among more animal species — including dogs, cats, skunks, bears and even seals and porpoises — in scores of countries. The detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was an unexpected twist that sparked questions about food safety and whether it would start spreading among humans.
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This spring, bird flu has been found in several dairy herds and poultry farms across Michigan.
“Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan. Farmworkers who have been exposed to impacted animals have been asked to report even mild symptoms, and testing for the virus has been made available,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, in a statement. “The current health risk to the general public remains low. This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point. This is exactly how public health is meant to work, in early detection and monitoring of new and emerging illnesses.”
At the beginning of the month, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring issued a “Determination of Extraordinary Emergency” order, requiring dairy farms and commercial poultry farms to take extra steps to combat avian flu.
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“Since the first detection of influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle on March 29, Michigan has prioritized both the animal and human health aspects of this disease outbreak,” Boring stated Wednesday. “Today’s news underscores the continued importance of limiting nonessential farm visits, including farm tours and field trips, as well as the use of personal protective equipment when working with livestock.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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