Workers' Compensation: Bird Flu Strikes Colorado Poultry Workers: CDC Confirms

The US Centers for Disease Control [CDC]] has reported additional humans have been infected with bird flu.

Three new human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5), also known as H5 bird flu, have been confirmed in Colorado. These cases are associated with a second poultry farm in Northeast Colorado/Weld County, which is different from the farm where six cases were previously reported.

The infected individuals worked directly with infected poultry at a commercial egg layer operation that reported an H5 bird flu outbreak among poultry. All three people have mild illnesses and have been offered the antiviral drug oseltamivir for treatment.

The total number of human cases associated with the current poultry outbreaks in Colorado is now nine. Since April 2024, 13 human cases of H5 bird flu have been reported in the United States, including a case from 2022, totaling 14.

The CDC emphasizes that the risk of infection is primarily associated with direct exposure to infected animals:

- People should avoid unprotected exposure to sick or dead animals, including birds and cows.

- They should also avoid contact with animal feces, bedding, unpasteurized milk, or materials touched by infected animals.

Most human cases of bird flu infection have historically occurred in people not wearing recommended personal protective equipment (PPE). The CDC has interim recommendations for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations, as well as updated recommendations for worker protection and the use of PPE.

Following these recommendations is crucial for reducing individual risk and containing the overall public health risk.

The CDC report stresses that while the risk to the general public remains low, the infections underscore the importance of proper protective measures for those working directly with infected animals.

Pandemic Preparedness continues to be neglected. Unfortunately, politics has disrupted the nation's public health system. Until Labor, Industry, and workers' compensation insurers take pandemic preparedness seriously, the workplace will remain a potential arena for unsafe working conditions and fatal economic disruption. It is imperative that the stakeholders act immediately with a serious determination to avoid the foreseeable consequences.

Recommended Citation: Gelman, Jon L., Bird Flu Strikes Colorado Poultry Workers: CDC Confirms, www.gelmans.com (07/28/2024) https://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/2024/07/bird-flu-strikes-colorado-poultry.html

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*Jon L. Gelman of Wayne, NJ, is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over five decades, the Law Offices of Jon Gelman 1.973.696.7900
jon@gelmans.com has represented injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational illnesses and diseases.