A dairy farmworker in Michigan has been found to be infected with H5N1 avian influenza, the second human case of bird flu associated with an ongoing outbreak of the virus among , Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday. A nasal swab of the worker tested negative, but an eye swab tested negative. The worker experienced conjunctivitis (an eye infection) but no other symptoms.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stressed that the risk to the public remains low. The H5N1 subvariant of has been increasingly reported in cattle in recent months, with 52 cases reported in nine states since March 25. Last month, a person who had exposure to infected cows in Texas was found to be infected with the H5N1 subtype, with conjunctivitis being their only symptom.
The infected person was treated with a flu antiviral drug and recovered. Health officials have expressed concerns that there may be more farm workers infected who aren't getting tested. Dr.
Barb Petersen, a dairy veterinarian in Amarillo, Texas, told NBC earlier this month that several dairy workers had fallen ill with "classic flu-like symptoms," including high fever, sweating at night, chills, lower back pain, upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. They also suffered from conjunctivitis. These workers were not tested for H5N1 so it remains unclear if they were infected with the bird flu or another illness.
Petersen told Fortune as well that she "had people who never missed work,.