Bird flu: Fourth US human case confirmed in Colorado farmworker

Health officials in Colorado say a male farmworker who was reporting symptoms of conjunctivitis — pink eye — recently tested positive for bird flu.

Health officials announced a farmworker in Colorado is the fourth person in the U.S. infected with bird flu.

In a statement from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), health officials said the male worker had direct contact with infected dairy cows on a northeast Colorado farm and developed bird flu.

The man developed mild symptoms and reported to health officials that he had pink eye.

In accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the man was given antiviral treatment and recovered.

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Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist with CDPHE, said the risk of bird flu remains low for the public but may be heightened for those who are regularly exposed to infected animals.

"The risk to most people remains low. Avian flu viruses are currently spreading among animals, but they are not adapted to spread from person to person," Herlihy said. 

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"Right now, the most important thing to know is that people who have regular exposure to infected animals are at increased risk of infection and should take precautions when they have contact with sick animals," she said.

Three previous cases of human infection linked to cows were reported in dairy workers in Texas and Michigan since March. 

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Two of those workers also developed pink eye, while one had mild respiratory symptoms. 

In 2022, the first U.S. case of bird flu was detected in a Colorado farmworker exposed to infected poultry.