The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced the first human case of influenza A virus in a Michigan farmworker who had regular exposure to livestock infected with the virus. The individual experienced mild symptoms and has since recovered.
The case follows extensive public health measures implemented by the state of Michigan over the past few months, allowing farmworkers to monitor their health and notify local public health officials if they develop symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk to the general public remains low.
Influenza A (H5N1) has been circulating in dairy and poultry farms across the United States this spring. State and local public health officials have been closely monitoring for human cases, which can occur sporadically in those with close contact to infected animals. The virus has been associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak, and while the first human case was not unexpected, information suggests that it is a sporadic infection with no associated ongoing person-to-person transmission.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive of MDHHS, stated, "Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan. Farmworkers who have been exposed to impacted animals have been asked to report even mild symptoms, and testing for the virus has been made available. The current health risk to the general public remains low. This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point. This is exactly how public health is meant to work, in early detection and monitoring of new and emerging illnesses."
MDHHS and local health departments continue to collaborate with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), farms, and workers to monitor the health of those exposed to ill animals. MDARD Director Tim Boring emphasized the importance of limiting nonessential farm visits and using personal protective equipment when working with livestock.
MDHHS recommends seasonal flu vaccination for individuals working on poultry or dairy farms to reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses, although it will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses specifically.
Since 2022, there have been two previous human cases related to bird and dairy exposure in the United States—one in Colorado in 2022 and one in Texas in 2024.
Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Press Release
