Notes from the Field: Health Monitoring, Testing, and Case Identification Among Persons Exposed to Influenza A(H5N1) - Michigan, 2024

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2024-07, Vol.73 (29), p.656-658
• Main Authors: Coyle, Joseph, Bagdasarian, Natasha, Eckel, Seth, Kuo, Jeremy, Stobierski, Mary Grace, Barber, James, Weinberg, Megan, Mamou, Fatema, Lyon-Callo, Sarah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Agriculture; Animals; Avian flu; Collaboration; Dairy cattle; Dairy farms; Departments; Disease prevention; Epidemiology; Farmworkers; Female; Health inspections; Humans; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Influenza A; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza, Human - diagnosis; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Laboratories; Livestock; Male; Michigan - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Notes from the Field; Personal protective equipment; Population Surveillance; Poultry; Public health; Risk assessment; State employees; Viruses; Workers; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7329a4

What is already known about this topic? Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus has been detected in wild birds and mammals, poultry, and commercial dairy facilities in the United States. A human case in a Texas dairy worker was reported in April 2024. What is added by this report? As of May 23, 2024, Michigan had the largest number of affected dairy and poultry facilities linked to the HPAI A(H5N1) outbreak. Active symptom monitoring and testing of exposed workers led to detection of the second and third known dairy-associated HPAI A(H5N1) cases in 2024. What are the implications for public health practice? The current risk to the public from HPAI A(H5N1) viruses is low; however, continued symptom monitoring and testing are critical to characterizing genetic or epidemiological changes that might alter the risk assessment.