The latest variant of avian influenza has surfaced at dairy and poultry farms in Riverside County, prompting health officials on Thursday to urge people who are regularly in contact with chickens and cows to take extra precautions.
According to the county Department of Public Health, animals at 25 egg and dairy production facilities, including one backyard coop, have tested positive amid the most recent bird flu — or H5N1 — outbreak.
“The overall risk to the general population is low,” county Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung said. “Additional safety measures are being implemented at affected dairy and poultry farms, including ongoing monitoring for symptoms in farm workers, the use of personal protective equipment and ensuring access to timely laboratory testing and treatment if and when needed.”
Officials are concerned mainly with exposure risks to agricultural workers and others who own or are in frequent contact with livestock.
“No person-to-person virus transmission has been detected in the United States,” according to the health department. “Bird flu is spread from infected cows, birds and other animals to people in a variety of ways. These include breathing in dust or droplets with the virus, touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after touching contaminated surfaces, or handling sick or dead animals and consuming raw unpasteurized milk or milk products.”
Officials recommended the following precautions for those who may have exposure risks:
— Wash hands immediately after contact with farm or wild animals, or handling anything around them
— Don’t touch eyes, nose or mouth before hand-washing
— Use personal protective equipment when in the animals’ spaces
— Try to shower after working with the animals
— As much as possible, only interact with them outdoors or in well-ventilated locations
Bird flu symptoms include red eyes, coughing, sore throat, clogged nasal passages, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, headaches, fatigue, respiratory difficulty and fever, according to the health department.
The agency is collaborating with the Office of the Agricultural Commissioner, the Department of Animal Services and the Department of Environmental Health to identify risks at livestock facilities and implement containment measures wherever needed.
“Poultry owners with flocks that have experienced any suspicious illness or deaths should call the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Sick Bird Hotline at 866-922-2473,” according to the health department.
Additional information on the avian variant is available at www.ruhealth.org/avianflu.