Key Public Health Prevention Recommendations for HPAI A(H5N1)

Purpose

This document summarizes current key public health prevention recommendations for state, tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions and provides links to resources for additional information on how to reduce the risk of infection and severe illness from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus (hereafter “HPAI A(H5N1)”)

CDC Update

  • HPAI A(H5N1) virus is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with two recent human cases in U.S. dairy farm workers.
  • Since 1997, more than 900 sporadic human cases of HPAI A(H5N1) have been reported from 23 countries and more than 50% of these human cases have died.
  • CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), public health and animal health officials in states, and other partners using a One Health approach to respond to the public health challenge posed by the multistate outbreak of HPAI A(H5N1) in dairy cows and other animals in the United States.
  • While CDC believes the current risk to the general public is low, some people (e.g., those who work with infected or presumed infected animals) are at greater risk of infection and CDC is monitoring for changes that might indicate the potential for increased transmission of the virus to humans or among humans.
  • CDC has recommended that state and local public health agencies monitor people with exposures to infected animals.
  • Information on the current HPAI A(H5N1) situation is available at H5N1 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary.

Protecting farm workers

Monitoring and testing farm workers

  • Monitor workers and other people with direct or close contact with cows, birds, or other domestic or wild animals infected, or potentially infected, with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses to rapidly identify any human cases, provide appropriate treatment, and prevent onward spread.
  • Monitoring is coordinated at the state or local level and should begin with first exposure and continue for 10 days past the last known exposure.
    • CDC will collect weekly aggregate monitoring reports from states and summarize information
  • To determine whether an illness is from HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection, testing of exposed symptomatic people is being done by state or local officials, and CDC conducts confirmatory testing when needed.

Use of oseltamivir (generic or brand name Tamiflu™) for treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of human infections