A study from the CDC reveals that bird flu is spreading unnoticed among veterinarians, with researchers finding antibodies in 2% of those surveyed, despite no reported symptoms. The findings suggest the number of confirmed cases in humans, currently at 68, is significantly underestimated. The study also aligns with previous work indicating that both veterinarians and agricultural workers might be experiencing unrecognized infections from their occupational exposures. This raises concerns over the understanding of bird flu transmission and the need for more comprehensive tracking of potential cases.
This means that people are being infected, likely due to their occupational exposures, and not developing signs of illness and therefore not seeking medical care.
The new study is more evidence that the official U.S. tally of confirmed human bird flu infections - 68 in the last year - is likely a significant undercount.
Testing found three of the vets, or 2%, had evidence of antibodies to H5N1 infection. All three worked with dairy cattle, as well as other animals.
Gray and some colleagues did a study last year of 14 dairy farmworkers and found two, or 14%, had evidence of past infections. Both had experienced symptoms but were never diagnosed.
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