Reuters The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday it plans to spend $10 million to curb farm worker bird flu infections, including $5 million for seasonal flu vaccines, as part of its efforts to avoid further spread and mutation of the virus.
The ongoing outbreak of bird flu has infected poultry flocks in nearly every U.S. state since 2022 and more than 170 dairy herds in 13 states since March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thirteen poultry and dairy farm workers have contracted the virus in Colorado, Michigan and Texas, according to the CDC. Nine of those cases were detected in July among workers killing chickens at two poultry farms with bird flu in Colorado.
The risk to the general public from bird flu is still low, CDC’s principal director Nirav Shah said on a call with reporters.
The CDC does not currently have any further human tests awaiting confirmation, though additional human cases in Colorado or elsewhere are possible, Shah added.