CDC recommends PPE for livestock workers as bird flu risk remains low

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday urged state public health officials to make personal protective equipment (PPE) available to livestock workers to combat the spread of avian influenza.

The CDC assesses that the risk of avian influenza to the general public remains low, but workers who work in close proximity to livestock, such as dairy farms, poultry farms, and slaughterhouses, remain at high risk of infection.

“CDC asked jurisdictions to make PPE available to workers at dairy farms, poultry farms, and slaughterhouses. Specifically, CDC asked state health departments to “We asked them to work with community partners, including farmers and farm worker organizations, to help coordinate and facilitate PPE distribution,” the call read.

CDC Principal Deputy Director Nirav D. Shah advised public health officials to prioritize PPE for workers on farms where cattle are confirmed to be infected with avian influenza.

H5N1 avian influenza has been detected in cattle in the United States, infecting at least one livestock worker in Texas. Fragments of the virus have been detected in samples of commercially available pasteurized milk, but regulators have not yet determined whether these findings indicate a risk of infection.

The Department of Agriculture, which is also currently supplying beef for bird flu, says it is confident the U.S. meat supply is safe.