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Sweltering barns, feathers flying
Around 160 workers inside barns at the facility were tasked with pulling out chickens, placing several at a time in a cart that would then be filled with carbon dioxide, killing them in under a minute-and-a-half, Dr. Julie Gauthier, the USDA's executive director for field operations in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said on the call.
Temperatures in northeast Colorado have hit 104 degrees, though Shah said temperatures inside the barns were even hotter. Workers wore light paper protective suits over their clothes, N95 respirators, goggles, boots and gloves. Industrial fans pushed air through the barns.
The fans made it uncomfortable to wear PPE, all while feathers ‒ a means in which bird flu virus can spread ‒ blew around. This likely caused the infections in five workers, officials said.
This suggests that risks can be better controlled in the future with more systematic use of PPE, in addition to measures to improve ventilation, Shah said. A 10-person CDC team, which includes bilingual speakers and an industrial hygienist, arrived in Colorado on Saturday to monitor and test workers and suggest safety improvements.
In total, 60 workers were tested for bird flu, with 55 testing negative, though many had symptoms consistent with other respiratory illnesses like rhinovirus, Shah said.
Sixteen workers who are symptomatic had been tested Monday, said AnneMarie Harper, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in an email. Testing remains ongoing and Shah said more infections might come to light.....
There is no recommendation yet for people to receive the vaccine, which has not been fully tested or approved for use.
The agency also distributed 5,000 goggles, 300,000 gloves, 150,000 N95 masks and 528 courses of Tamiflu to Colorado, Boucher said....
Sweltering barns, feathers flying
Around 160 workers inside barns at the facility were tasked with pulling out chickens, placing several at a time in a cart that would then be filled with carbon dioxide, killing them in under a minute-and-a-half, Dr. Julie Gauthier, the USDA's executive director for field operations in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said on the call.
Temperatures in northeast Colorado have hit 104 degrees, though Shah said temperatures inside the barns were even hotter. Workers wore light paper protective suits over their clothes, N95 respirators, goggles, boots and gloves. Industrial fans pushed air through the barns.
The fans made it uncomfortable to wear PPE, all while feathers ‒ a means in which bird flu virus can spread ‒ blew around. This likely caused the infections in five workers, officials said.
This suggests that risks can be better controlled in the future with more systematic use of PPE, in addition to measures to improve ventilation, Shah said. A 10-person CDC team, which includes bilingual speakers and an industrial hygienist, arrived in Colorado on Saturday to monitor and test workers and suggest safety improvements.
In total, 60 workers were tested for bird flu, with 55 testing negative, though many had symptoms consistent with other respiratory illnesses like rhinovirus, Shah said.
Sixteen workers who are symptomatic had been tested Monday, said AnneMarie Harper, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in an email. Testing remains ongoing and Shah said more infections might come to light.....
There is no recommendation yet for people to receive the vaccine, which has not been fully tested or approved for use.
The agency also distributed 5,000 goggles, 300,000 gloves, 150,000 N95 masks and 528 courses of Tamiflu to Colorado, Boucher said....
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