WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Washington State Department of Health reported the state's first-ever presumed human cases of avian influenza in four agricultural workers, who tested positive for the disease.
The workers had been involved in handling infected poultry at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County.
They experienced mild symptoms and were later treated with antiviral medication.
On October 15, about 800,000 birds were euthanized at the farm after they were tested positive for the virus by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The officials said that the Benton-Franklin Health District carried out health checks of the exposed workers and coordinated testing at the Washington State Public Health Lab.
Meanwhile, samples have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for final confirmation.
'Washington has monitored the spread of H5N1 closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the knowledge, relationships, and tools to minimize its impacts on our community,' said Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
