On Wednesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced the detection of a presumptive positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in Barron County, located in the northwestern part of the state, about an hour and 45 minutes from Minneapolis, north of Eau Claire and Menomonie.
The case in question involved an individual who had direct contact with infected birds from a commercial poultry flock in the same county. In response, the Wisconsin DHS, in collaboration with Barron County Health and Human Services, is monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed and providing them with preventive health advice. The department has assured the public that the risk to the general population remains low.
In addition, bird flu has been detected in Kenosha County, closer to Chicago, though no human cases have been reported there. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection confirmed the presence of H5N1 in a backyard poultry flock in that region.
This update coincides with news that a person in Louisiana has contracted the first severe case of bird flu in the U.S., after coming into contact with sick and deceased birds in backyard flocks. Investigations into the source of the infection are ongoing.
Furthermore, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to bird flu concerns following reports of the disease in Southern California dairy cows. Governor Newsom emphasized that this declaration would provide government agencies with the necessary resources and flexibility to respond quickly to the outbreak.
There have been reports of mild illnesses among dairy and poultry workers who had close contact with infected animals. In two cases, the source of the illness remains unclear, raising concerns about the potential for human-to-human transmission, which could lead to a pandemic.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/wisconsin-reports-first-human-case-of-bird-flu/