The Riverside County Department of Public Health last week reported that 23 dairy and poultry farms, including one backyard flock, have tested positive for bird flu, though officials said the risk to the general public was still considered low and there have been no reports in the United States of person-to-person transmission.
“We felt it was important to put the press release out now, just to make the public aware that there have been 23 farms where it’s been identified,” Barbara Cole, director for disease control with public health, said. “The risk to the general public is low, but people need to know that it can be in unpasteurized milk and other dairy products, and they need to know if they have a backyard flock and they’re sick, they could potentially get exposed.”
According to the release, people can become infected with the virus by breathing in dust or droplets that have the virus, touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after touching contaminated surfaces or having sick or dead animals or their environments and consuming raw unpasteurized milk or other dairy products.
Cole said the department’s goal was to create awareness so those who work with poultry or livestock know what to look out for and understand how they can protect themselves from becoming sick.
As for keeping farmworkers safe, Cole said the department was working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure worker safety.
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“Our role for the impacted farms, whether it’s dairy or poultry, is to follow up and actually talk to the owners and managers about the [personal protective equipment] PPE they need for their workers,” she said. “We ask if they have any workers that are showing symptoms and if they have a plan for sending them to their health care providers, so we deal with the people aspect.”
For those at risk for exposure, the department recommends people wash their hands immediately after coming into contact with animals or their environment and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth; using proper PPE when handling animals that could be infected; changing into new clothes after exposure to animals; and working with animals outdoors or in well-ventilated indoor environments.
Cole also recommended that everyone get the seasonal flu vaccine to reduce the risk of getting sick with both human and bird flu viruses at the same time which could lead to a more severe or contagious virus.
“Vaccination is an important part of protecting each person and protecting themselves,” she said.
Poultry owners with flocks that have experienced any unusual/suspicious illness or deaths should call the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Sick Bird Hotline at: 866-922-2473.
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