US CDC says bird flu risk low, but asks states to be ready with testing

FILE PHOTO: A person holds a test tube labelled “Bird Flu”, in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(This April 8 story has been corrected to remove reference to rapid testing, in the headline)

(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday bird flu risk to the public remains low even as it asked the state public health officials to be prepared to respond.

The agency asked for plans to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds.

It also encouraged state health officials to communicate about any challenges they are facing.

Earlier Texas and the CDC had reported a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus.

The farm worker from Texas was reported to be infected on April 1, making it the second case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, identified in a person in the United States.

The avian influenza has also spread to dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan and Idaho – the first time the virus has infected cattle.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)