Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines, recommending that all workers who have had contact with sick animals receive antivirals
Health authorities are stepping up testing of dairy farm workers in response to the H5N1 outbreak. New evidence indicates that the previous approach, which focused only on symptoms, may have left many cases undetected, increasing the risk of spreading the virus. The (CDC) has updated its guidelines, recommending that all workers who have had contact with sick animals receive antivirals, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Previously, the use of the antiviral drug Tamiflu was restricted to people with suspected signs of H5N1 infection.
A recent CDC study revealed that about 50% of workers who showed signs of infection did not remember having symptoms. This finding raises concerns about the effectiveness of the previous strategy, which relied solely on observing symptoms, allowing the virus to spread undetected. The new recommendations aim to prevent H5N1 from developing the ability to transmit between humans. Although the CDC has said there is no evidence that the virus is spreading between people, vigilance remains essential to keep the risk under control.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that of the 446 dairy herds with confirmed infections this year, 151 were identified in the last 30 days alone. The number of confirmed human cases has risen to 46. Despite the increase in cases, the CDC believes H5N1 still poses a low risk to the general population. Most human infections have been mild and have occurred in workers who have had direct contact with infected livestock or poultry. However, the recent confirmation of a pig in Oregon with H5N1 raises new concerns about infection in pigs. The USDA also reported that a second pig on the same property tested positive for the virus, suggesting that the infection may have occurred through migratory birds.
*Report produced with the help of AI
Posted by Luisa dos Santos
