County of Fresno
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Public Health Communication
November 15, 2024 (559) 259-1798 or (559) 974-2302
Promotion, preservation and protection of the community’s health
1221 Fulton Street, Fresno, CA 93721 P.O. Box 11867, Fresno, CA 93775
(559) 600-3200 FAX (559) 600-7687
The County of Fresno is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
www.co.fresno.ca.us http://fcdph.org
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First Confirmed Human Case of Bird Flu (H5N1) in Fresno County
The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH), in coordination with the California Department of
Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has confirmed its first human
case of H5N1 bird flu in a Fresno County resident who had contact with infected cattle at a dairy farm in the
Central Valley. This case has reported mild symptoms, is being treated with antiviral medications, and is isolating
at home.
The virus was first detected in California in sick dairy cattle in August, and public health officials have been closely
monitoring workers for illness at dairy facilities experiencing an outbreak of bird flu among their cattle herds. As of
today, there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmissions of the bird flu virus in California.
“Although there is now one confirmed human case of bird flu in Fresno County, the risk to the general public
remains low at this time. It is essential for everyone on dairy and poultry farms to take safety precautions and
follow all public health recommendations to reduce the risk of further human cases. Protecting the health of our
farmworkers is a top priority for the FCDPH as we continue to address bird flu infections in our region.” stated Dr.
Trinidad Solis, Deputy County Health Officer for the FCDPH.
People who interact with potentially infected animals are at higher risk of getting bird flu and we continue our
efforts to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for those workers. The FCDPH recommends that PPE,
such as respirators (N95 masks), eye protection (face shields or safety goggles), and gloves be worn by anyone
working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the bird flu virus. Wearing PPE
helps prevent infection. The FCDPH has been actively working alongside industry partners in distributing PPE for
farmworkers and, to date, has distributed approximately 60,000 pieces of PPE to 15 dairies.
Pasteurized milk and dairy products continue to be safe to consume, as pasteurization is fully effective at
inactivating the bird flu virus. As an added precaution, and according to longstanding state and federal
requirements, milk from sick cows is not permitted in the public milk supply.
People exposed to infected animals should monitor for the following symptoms for 10 days after their last
exposure: eye redness (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or
body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing, and fever. If they start to feel sick, they should immediately
isolate, notify the FCDPH, and work with public health and healthcare providers to get timely testing and
treatment. Exposed workers who develop symptoms can notify the FCDPH at (559) 600-3332.
The FCDPH recommends all residents, especially workers at risk for exposure to bird flu, receive the seasonal flu
and COVID-19 vaccine. Although the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against bird flu, it can decrease the risk
of being infected with both viruses at the same time and reduce the chance of severe illness from seasonal flu.
The public can go to myturn.ca.gov to find the nearest site offering the seasonal vaccine along other vaccines
needed to protect themselves against circulating viruses this fall and winter.
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For the latest information on the national bird flu response, see the CDC’s Bird Flu Response Update. To report
an unusual number of sick livestock or you suspect Bird Flu in your livestock, call the California Department of
Food and Agriculture (CDFA) at 1-866-922-2473.
For any other information on bird flu or to request PPE for farm owners and organizations supporting
farmworkers, please visit the Fresno County bird flu webpage:
www.fcdph.org/AvianFlu.
https://www.fresnocountyca.gov/file...an-case-of-bird-flu-h5n1-in-fresno-county.pdf
