Federal health officials are urging increased testing of farmworkers on farms with bird flu after a study revealed that some dairy workers had signs of infection despite not feeling sick. The new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends testing and offering treatment to workers in close contact with infected animals, even if they show no symptoms.
This call for action follows blood tests conducted on 115 farmworkers in Michigan and Colorado, which found that 7% of them had antibodies indicating previous infection with H5N1 influenza, the virus responsible for the bird flu.
The CDC study, the largest of its kind to date, sheds light on how the bird flu, which was first detected in dairy cows in March, may be spreading to humans. Experts believe the virus may be infecting more individuals than the 46 confirmed farmworker cases reported as of Thursday.
The findings led to the CDC’s shift in approach, as earlier recommendations only called for testing and treatment if symptoms were present.
Researchers warned that the continued spread of the virus increases the risk of dangerous mutations, especially with the virus found in high levels in infected cows’ milk.
The response to the outbreak has faced criticism for being too slow and lacking urgency in addressing the risks.
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