A farmworker who had close contact with influenza A (H5)-positive cows has contracted the virus, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The worker was provided anti-viral medication after having respiratory symptoms and is recovering.
As part of the ongoing response to the multi-state outbreak of influenza A (H5N1), health officials are monitoring for human cases which can occur in people who come in close contact with infected animals.
The state’s chief medical examiner says Michigan’s first confirmed case last week happened at a different farm as a result of infected milk splashing into a worker’s eyes.
Neither of the infected people was wearing full personal protective equipment or PPE, which is now recommended as an important tool to prevent spread among people who work on dairy and poultry farms.
Health experts also recommend those workers get seasonal flu vaccinations to reduce the risk of co-infection.
They have not seen signs of human-to-human transmission of the disease and still rate the health risk to the general public as low.
More information is available at at Michigan.gov/influenzaA.
