Bird flu confirmed in Nevada dairy worker

A dairy worker in Nevada is the state’s first human case of bird flu after the employee was exposed to infected dairy cattle.

In a release Monday, the Central Nevada Health District confirmed the “state’s first and only” human case of avian influenza, the H5N1 virus. The employee was working in Churchill County.

The individual had conjunctivitis, commonly called pink eye, and no other reported symptoms.

They are recovering, and the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering the risk to the public to be low as there is no evidence of person-to-person spreading from the bird flu.

“Close contacts of the infected person and other workers exposed at the farm are being contacted and monitored for symptoms and are being offered personal protective equipment, testing, and antiviral medication,” the health district said. “No additional cases have been confirmed at this time.”

While there is currently a low risk to the general public, those who work with birds, poultry, or cows are at an elevated risk of contracting the virus, the release said.

Residents are advised to limit their exposure to wild birds or other animals infected or suspected to be infected with the bird flu.

“If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds or other animals or work on a farm where avian influenza has been detected, watch for respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis,” the release said.

The announcement comes just days after a second strain of bird flu was found among Nevada dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The strain matches the version of the virus found in wild birds and domestic poultry.

The CDC confirmed in December that a person in Louisiana is the first confirmed severe case of bird flu. So far, there have been 68 confirmed total reported human cases of bird flu in the U.S., the CDC said.

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