
Two dairy workers in California have tested positive for bird flu, health officials revealed Thursday. These cases bring the total number of human infections in the U.S. this year to 16. Both workers, who developed mild symptoms, are believed to have contracted the virus through contact with infected cattle in California’s Central Valley.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is the first time bird flu cases have been confirmed in California during this outbreak. The workers, employed at separate farms, experienced symptoms such as eye redness and conjunctivitis. Health authorities emphasized that there is no known connection between the two individuals, and they appear to have been infected through direct animal contact rather than human-to-human transmission.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, has been a growing concern in the U.S. as it continues to spread among dairy herds. Since March, more than 250 dairy herds in 14 states have been affected, making this one of the largest outbreaks in recent memory. However, the CDC has assured the public that the risk of widespread human infection remains low.
Most human cases this year have been linked to workers handling infected animals, primarily in Colorado, Michigan, and Texas. A case in Missouri remains unexplained, as the infected individual had no known contact with animals.