Four poultry workers in Colorado have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu, health officials confirmed on Sunday.
There have now been nine confirmed human cases of bird flu since the current outbreak began in 2022. Eight of those cases were reported this year.
Health officials stated that the four individuals suffered mild symptoms, including irritated eyes and common respiratory symptoms such as fever, coughing, a sore throat and runny nose.
A fifth individual who is suspected of having bird flu is also undergoing testing.
All five are known to have had contact with infected birds.
The four other cases that were reported this year were all among dairy workers, in Michigan, Texas and Colorado.
H5N1 has been confirmed in 152 dairy herds in 12 states, and poultry farmers have reported cases in 30 states.
Last week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a state of emergency, in order to “[unlock] the resources necessary to help affected poultry facilities respond to and contain outbreaks of avian flu.”
The announcement came in response to an outbreak of the virus at a massive Weld County chicken farm. Nearly 2 million chickens are due to be slaughtered there.
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