Bird flu has possibly infected four agricultural workers in Washington state, according to the Washington State Department of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a press release<\/u><\/a> Sunday, the Washington State Department of Health said the \u201cworkers tested presumptively positive for avian influenza after working with infected poultry at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County.\u201d Franklin County is in the eastern half of the Evergreen State, which is known for its agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the health department, those possibly infected went through \u201cmild symptoms and have been provided with antiviral medication,\u201d and that the potential infections \u201care the first presumed human cases of H5 virus under investigation in Washington state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTesting of additional individuals on the farm is currently pending, and the number of cases under investigation may change,\u201d the health department said in the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The health department also said that \u201c[t]he cases took place at a farm that was the site of an avian influenza outbreak in chickens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an emailed statement sent to The Hill on Tuesday that they are waiting on \u201cspecimens for avian flu testing from Washington state, and a team is being deployed to support the state\u2019s assessment of the health of workers involved in a depopulation event at a poultry facility there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, there have been \u201c27 H5 human cases reported in the US,\u201d according to the CDC<\/u><\/a>. Bird flu commonly spreads in birds<\/u><\/a> as well as other animals. However, it can infect humans if they come in contact with body fluid from an infected animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures,\u201d the agency\u2002said on their website<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n