Just five weeks after its first outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle, California has more affected herds than any other state. According to a USDA database, California has 82 infected herds, an increase of 26 herds in two days. The California Department of Public Health said a third human case of bird flu was identified in the Central Valley; two other cases were confirmed there last week.
California, the largest milk-producing state, accounts for nearly three of every 10 U.S. herds infected by the avian flu virus since late March; to date 282 herds in 14 states have been affected. Colorado has the second-highest total, 64 herds. The USDA said last week that it expected to succeed in eradicating the virus in cattle by isolating infected herds.
The new human case of bird flu “was identified in a Central Valley individual who had contact with infected dairy cattle,” said the state health department. “There is no known link between this and the first two cases … suggesting only animal-to-human spread of the virus in California. All three individuals had contact with animals at three different farms.” All three of the farmworkers experienced mild symptoms, including conjunctivitis.
With the new case, 17 people have contracted mild cases of bird flu this year, all but one of them were dairy or poultry workers. The exception was a patient in Missouri with no known contact with animals.