Michigan Farmworker Diagnosed With Rare Bird Flu, Second in US

A Michigan farmworker has been diagnosed with bird flu, just the second human case in the United States tied to infected dairy cows.

The worker had been in contact with infected animals at a Michigan dairy farm. The name and location of the dairy farm has yet to be disclosed and the worker's identity has not been made public.

How Severe is This Case of Bird Flu?

Officials with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that on Tuesday (5/21) a nasal swab from the infected individual tested negative for the virus, but an eye swab tested positive for bird flu, indicating that the worker has an eye infection.

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The farmworker is said to have a very mild case, realizing something was possibly wrong earlier this month when he developed a gritty feeling in his eye.

Health officials say the risk to the public is low but farmworkers who are exposed to infected animals are at a higher risk.

Second US Case of Bird Flu in a Human

The infected farmhand in Michigan is only the second reported case of human bird flu. In March of this year, a farmworker in Texas was diagnosed as the first known case of the disease spreading from an animal to a human.

Bird Flu in Dairy Cows in Michigan

So far, dairy cows infected with bird flu have been reported in nine states. There have been confirmed cases in 51 dairy herds, with 158 of those herds located in Michigan.