CDC Confirms 2 Cases of Avian Bird Flu in Humans in Franklin County

The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed along with the Benton-Franklin Health District that 2 people have avian bird flu.

  The virus is usually contracted by humans working with poultry or birds

According to the WA State Dept of Health:

"Any employees or contractors who may have worked on a poultry farm in Benton or Franklin counties since October 7, 2024, should contact BFHD at 509-460-4550 if they have symptoms, such as red eyes, feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, or other influenza-like illness."

The virus is not believed to transmit human-to-human, but from poultry or birds to people.  The CDC and BFHD says people with backyard poultry or birds should monitor them closely for signs of sickness or illness.

These cases came from several poultry farm workers in the region who developed the signs of sickness listed previously. They were then tested.

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Avian bird flu, first detected in the US in 2022 (the latest variant) has killed millions of poultry world wide, many of them being euthanized to prevent further spread of the virus.

The CDC currently considers human risk from this virus to be low.  According to the WA State Dept of Health:

"Avian influenza is a disease caused by influenza Type A viruses that naturally occur in wild aquatic birds throughout the world. These viruses can also infect other species of birds, and occasionally mammals, and can cause significant mortality in poultry.

On rare occasions, avian influenza viruses infect people and make them sick. Most instances of people becoming infected with avian influenza have happened after prolonged, close contact with animals infected with avian influenza or environments contaminated with avian influenza."