PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced that this week, three people who were infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) traveled to Oregon while they were sick and were reportedly monitored by public health.
All three people were infected when they were exposed to poultry that tested positive for the virus at a Wash. location.
The three people infected reportedly returned to Wash. and will continue to be monitored until ten days after their last exposure.
Washington Department of Health updated its online case count from six to nine after the three new cases were identified.
The CDC also updated its case count on Thursday with the three new cases.
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“At this time, the risk for the general public remains low,” said Melissa Sutton, M.D., medical director for respiratory viral pathogens at Oregon Public Health. “People who have had close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals, or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at increased risk of infection.”
There have been no human HPAI infections that became outbreaks in Oregon to date, no infections among Oregon residents, and no evidence that the infection can be transmitted from person to person. The CDC reports that humans appear to be at low risk for infection from HPAI.
Oregon Fish and Wildlife (OFW) has also reported an increase in cases of avian flu and mortality in wild birds, especially cackling geese in the Willamette Valley. Oregon is the first state to report a new spike.
People are advised to not handle sick or dead waterfowl, and hunters should take precautions.
If people encounter groups of sick or dead birds people are encouraged to report it to the Wildlife Health Lab at 866-968-2600 or wildlife.health@odfw.oregon.gov.
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