Two more California dairy workers confirmed to be infected by dairy influenza

[RonO]

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/avian-flu-infects-2-more-dairy-workers-californias-central-valley

California is reporting that the CDC has confirmed 2 more dairy worker
infections, so they aren't releasing information on new cases until
confirmed by the CDC. More cases have been reported in the news, but
they may not have been confirmed by the CDC at this time.

California must have a very high rate of confirming suspected dairy
worker infections in testing symptomatic dairy workers. The CDC never
started such testing, so it is no surprise that they never knew what the
actual rate of infection has likely been for a very long time. The
positives are only from symptomatic workers. We still do not know the
actual infection rate.

This article also states that the CDC has contracted Quest Diagnostics
to test samples coming from human subjects for the dairy influenza. The
test is specific for the H5N1 virus. In light of the mutations being
identified in California and Missouri among human patients, the CDC
should start evaluating the current test to make sure that the mutations
are not compromising detection. The test works, but that doesn't mean
that it works as well as it was first designed to work back in March.

In all other states they should be running antibody screening for
workers that had worked with known infected cattle, so that we can get
an idea of how bad things have always been. The previous antibody
testing of dairy workers in Michigan tested 39 individuals, but they
were selected because they had not shown symptoms after being exposed to
the infected cattle, and they did they test the known positive control
of the individual that had tested positive (was shedding virus). As sad
as it may seem that study was designed to not identify past infected
workers. A smaller Texas study that tested 14 individuals that had
shown some influenza like symptoms found 2 antibody positive dairy
workers. One of the positive individuals had not worked with cattle
(they worked in the farm cafeteria) and was a possible human to human
infection because the other positive worker worked on the same farm, but
the CDC never considers that study, nor do they have designated them
possible infected humans.

Ron Okimoto

[RonO]

Post by RonO
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/avian-flu-infects-2-
more-dairy-workers-californias-central-valley
California is reporting that the CDC has confirmed 2 more dairy worker
infections, so they aren't releasing information on new cases until
confirmed by the CDC.  More cases have been reported in the news, but
they may not have been confirmed by the CDC at this time.
California must have a very high rate of confirming suspected dairy
worker infections in testing symptomatic dairy workers.  The CDC never
started such testing, so it is no surprise that they never knew what the
actual rate of infection has likely been for a very long time.  The
positives are only from symptomatic workers.  We still do not know the
actual infection rate.
This article also states that the CDC has contracted Quest Diagnostics
to test samples coming from human subjects for the dairy influenza.  The
test is specific for the H5N1 virus.  In light of the mutations being
identified in California and Missouri among human patients, the CDC
should start evaluating the current test to make sure that the mutations
are not compromising detection.  The test works, but that doesn't mean
that it works as well as it was first designed to work back in March.
In all other states they should be running antibody screening for
workers that had worked with known infected cattle, so that we can get
an idea of how bad things have always been.  The previous antibody
testing of dairy workers in Michigan tested 39 individuals, but they
were selected because they had not shown symptoms after being exposed to
the infected cattle, and they did they test the known positive control
of the individual that had tested positive (was shedding virus).  As sad
as it may seem that study was designed to not identify past infected
workers.  A smaller Texas study that tested 14 individuals that had
shown some influenza like symptoms found 2 antibody positive dairy
workers.  One of the positive individuals had not worked with cattle
(they worked in the farm cafeteria) and was a possible human to human
infection because the other positive worker worked on the same farm, but
the CDC never considers that study, nor do they have designated them
possible infected humans.
Ron Okimoto

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html

The CDC added one additional confirmed case among farm workers in
California (total 16) and Washington (total 6). They still have not
updated the Missouri situation about the second human infection with no
known contact with infected animals (should be 2 total). They claim
that both Missouri cases were likely infected by the same source at the
same time since they lived together. They do not believe that one
infected the other.

Ron Okimoto