By Brenda Goodman | CNN
Two farmworkers in California tested positive for H5 bird flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Thursday.
The confirmation came hours after the California Department of Public Health announced the first two presumptive positive cases in humans in the state. Both workers’ specimens were submitted to CDC for confirmatory testing.
Health officials said the two cases appeared to be unrelated. The people worked on different dairy farms in California’s Central Valley and both farms had cattle known to be positive for H5N1 avian influenza.
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Both people had mild symptoms. The main symptom in both cases was red eyes, or conjunctivitis, a sign that a person has been infected through their eyes. This can happen if a person rubs their eyes with virus on their hands or if infected milk splashes on a person’s face. Neither worker had respiratory symptoms or was hospitalized.
Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low. Farm workers are at higher risk, however, and the CDC has recommended that farmworkers wear personal protective equipment including a face shield or goggles, a face mask and gloves to reduce the risk of infection.
