After the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was reported in Texas over the weekend in a person exposed to an infected dairy cow, officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture want the public to know that there are no cases reported in any cattle or other livestock in Connecticut.
The only symptom the patient in Texas experienced was eye inflammation and the person’s condition is being treated and an antiviral drug, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Officials also said the state’s commercial milk supply is safe, due to the pasteurization process which is required for interstate commerce.
The Connecticut Department of Health said the CDC’s interim recommendations are that people should avoid unprotected exposures to sick or dead animals including wild birds, poultry, other domesticated birds, and other wild or domesticated animals, including cattle, as well as with animal carcasses, raw milk, feces, litter or materials contaminated by birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected HPAI A(H5N1)-virus infection.
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They also said people should not prepare or eat uncooked or undercooked food or related uncooked food products, such as unpasteurized milk, or products made from raw milk, such as cheeses from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza or bird flu infection.
“This is an evolving situation in Texas. The current risk of infection from avian influenza to residents of Connecticut remains low. Because pasteurization kills pathogens, including avian influenza, in milk, residents of Connecticut should be reassured by the safety of drinking or eating pasteurized dairy products. While we have no evidence of human-to-human transmission at this time, we need to remain vigilant,” Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said in a statement.
Juthani added that the CDC is working with state health departments to continue to monitor workers who may have been in contact with infected or potentially infected birds and animals and test those people who develop symptoms.
Local
According to the CDC, this is the second human case of H5N1 flu in the United States and the first linked to an exposure to cattle, according to the State Department of Health.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food & Drug Administration and the CDC have confirmed positive test results for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Texas and Kansas dairy herds.
Connecticut Department of Health officials said, based on the information and research available, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health.
Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption, and milk from affected animals is not entering the food supply. Pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.
“At this time, there are no confirmed cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle or other livestock in Connecticut. We are monitoring this situation as it evolves nationally and continue to amplify the information shared from federal partners on a local level,” Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt said in a statement. “We encourage Connecticut producers to enhance their on-farm biosecurity measures for the health and safety of livestock and farm workers.”
Hurlburt said producers and veterinarians should report cases of sick cattle to State Animal Health Officials at 860-713-2505 or ctstate.vet@ct.gov.
