NEW YORK — The U.S. can pay for flu photographs for farmworkers this yr, a technique to forestall hen flu from becoming one thing extra harmful.
Dairy and poultry farms are coping with outbreaks of hen flu, and 13 staff have picked up infections. All circumstances are gentle and are believed to have unfold straight from contaminated animals to individuals.
However well being officers are apprehensive about what may occur if persons are contaminated with hen flu and seasonal flu on the identical time. It is attainable the viruses might swap gene segments, in a course of that scientists name reassortment. Chook flu, for instance, might acquire the power to unfold as simply amongst individuals as seasonal flu does.
To stop coinfections, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on Tuesday stated it’ll spend $5 million to purchase seasonal flu photographs and get livestock staff vaccinated this fall, working with state and native officers. One other $5 million will likely be spent to advertise the photographs.
“We wish to do all the pieces we will to cut back the chance that the virus could change,” stated the CDC’s Dr. Nirav Shah.
Learn Extra: We Are Not Secure from Chook Flu Till We Shield Farmworkers
Seasonal flu photographs don’t shield in opposition to hen flu. However they may cut back coinfections, he stated. The CDC can also be discussing the potential of providing some farmworkers the antiviral remedy Tamiflu to forestall getting the flu, Shah stated.
U.S. officers say there are not less than 200,000 livestock staff within the nation. In accordance with the Nationwide Heart for Farmworker Well being, a couple of quarter of livestock staff sometimes get a seasonal flu shot.
Manufacturing of a restricted quantity of hen flu vaccine for individuals is underway, however the authorities just isn’t recommending it for farmworkers. There is not the type of person-to-person unfold that will set off that type of vaccination marketing campaign, Shah stated.
A hen flu virus has been spreading since 2020 amongst mammals—together with canines, cats, skunks, bears and even seals and porpoises—in scores of nations. Earlier this yr, the virus often known as H5N1 was detected in U.S. livestock.
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AP well being author JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report.
