A case of H5 influenza, also known as bird flu or avian influenza, has been confirmed in a man who was working at a dairy farm in northeastern Colorado. That's according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which said it is the fourth confirmed human case in the United States since an outbreak among cows that appears to have started in March. The man was working in Northern Colorado and had direct contact with cattle that were infected with avian flu.
To this point, the only U.S. cases have been among farmworkers.
The CDPHE says the person who tested positive for the avian flu only had one symptom -- pink eye, otherwise known as conjunctivitis. He was tested after reporting his symptoms and received an antiviral treatment with oseltamivir afterwards. Those are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended steps when there's a confirmed human case.
The man, whose identity is not being released, has recovered. This is the first confirmed a case of avian flu in Colorado since 2022. CDPHE state epidemiologist Dr.
Rachel Herlihy said the risk to the public is low. "Avian flu viruses are currently spreading among animals, but they are not adapted to spread from person to person. 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," Herlihy said in a prepared statement.
Jill Hunsaker Ryan, .