Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Jun 15, 2024 9:37:30 GMT
Top CDC officials warns US needs ‘more tests’ in face of bird flu fears - Published June 14,2024
There is not enough testing for bird flu among people and animals in the US, says Dr Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – but he is wary of pushing the issue and damaging fragile trust among farm workers and owners.
“We would like to be doing more tests,” Shah said. “We’d like to be testing particularly not just symptomatic workers, but anyone on a farm who is exposed.”
But, Shah said, “right now we want to be in a role where we’re building trust with farms and farm workers.”
For the general public, the risk is still low, the CDC says. But the risks are elevated for agricultural workers in close contact with animals – and potentially the people around them.
The CDC is “preparing for the possibility” that the virus could evolve to spread more easily among people, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Shah encouraged the use of personal protective equipment, but stopped short at promising shots for farm workers, who are now the most at risk for getting and spreading H5N1, a highly pathogenic bird flu.
US officials announced last week that a third person tested positive – a farm worker in Michigan who worked closely with sick cows.
Unlike the previous two cases, where conjunctivitis (or “pink eye”) was the only symptom, this patient experienced respiratory symptoms typical for the flu – a cough, congestion, sore throat and watery eyes.
There is not enough testing for bird flu among people and animals in the US, says Dr Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – but he is wary of pushing the issue and damaging fragile trust among farm workers and owners.
“We would like to be doing more tests,” Shah said. “We’d like to be testing particularly not just symptomatic workers, but anyone on a farm who is exposed.”
But, Shah said, “right now we want to be in a role where we’re building trust with farms and farm workers.”
For the general public, the risk is still low, the CDC says. But the risks are elevated for agricultural workers in close contact with animals – and potentially the people around them.
The CDC is “preparing for the possibility” that the virus could evolve to spread more easily among people, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Shah encouraged the use of personal protective equipment, but stopped short at promising shots for farm workers, who are now the most at risk for getting and spreading H5N1, a highly pathogenic bird flu.
US officials announced last week that a third person tested positive – a farm worker in Michigan who worked closely with sick cows.
Unlike the previous two cases, where conjunctivitis (or “pink eye”) was the only symptom, this patient experienced respiratory symptoms typical for the flu – a cough, congestion, sore throat and watery eyes.