Bird Flu Infection Concerns: CDC Team Dispatched to Washington

In Washington state, four farm workers who handled sick poultry are suspected of having bird flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sending a team to assess the situation. This makes Washington the sixth state this year with potential human cases. Public health experts are worried, as there have been infections in U. S. dairy cattle and farm workers. California and Washington are trying to vaccinate farm workers against seasonal flu to reduce bird flu risks. Simultaneous infection with bird flu and seasonal flu could increase the risk of the bird flu spreading easily among humans and potentially causing a pandemic. However, there's no evidence yet that the virus is spreading between people. The CDC is awaiting test results from Washington and will support the state's assessment.The four workers had inconsistent protective gear use while clearing carcasses and cleaning facilities from a farm with nearly 800, 000 culled chickens. They experienced mild symptoms and were given antiviral medication. The farm was affected by a virus strain from wild birds. Across the U. S. , 27 people tested positive for the virus in 2024, mostly with known exposure to infected poultry or cattle. Since the outbreak began in 2022, over 100 million U. S. chickens, turkeys, and other birds have been culled.