Michigan farm worker gets bird flu from cow

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– A Michigan farm worker got sick with the bird flu after working with cows. The person is the first in the state to catch the disease that way and only the second known case of a human catching the H5 virus after it spread from birds to livestock. The first case happened in Texas.

State and federal officials made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon. They did not identify the person or the farm to protect their privacy. An eye swab sent to the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the case. State health officials say the farm worker had only mild symptoms and has since gotten better.

While they’re asking farms to take steps to stop the spread of the disease, they say the risk to the public is low.

“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,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, in a press release. “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.”

State officials have encouraged farms to limit the number of people visiting farms, have farm workers use protective equipment, and step up their cleaning and hygiene routines since the virus was discovered in dairy cattle back in March.

“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,” said Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the release.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.