Residents of Utah shouldn’t have to worry about bird flu infections

Salt Lake City, Utah – Officials in Utah are already taking action in response to the discovery of bird flu infections in animals throughout the state.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services reports that current illnesses are present on a number of farms.

With very few human cases nationwide and none in Utah, the danger of transmission to humans is minimal. Each of the 53 human cases of avian flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is thought to have been contracted via infected livestock or poultry.

Health officials want to be ahead of any potential alterations, especially if the human flu and avian flu viruses come into contact, even if there is no evidence of any human-to-human transmission.

“[If a farmer] has that infection, he is tending to his potentially ill animals. At a Utah Board of Health meeting, an epidemiologist stated that these viruses can exchange DNA if they infect the same host, which may facilitate the virus’s ability to infect people.

As always, health officials advise people to follow hand-washing instructions because this is the time of year when individuals are most likely to become ill, especially as families get together for Thanksgiving.

Chris Smoot, an epidemiologist with Utah Health and Human Resources, stated, “We know there’s going to be flu, there’s going to be RSV and COVID and others happening, so our guidance to the public is for any other respiratory disease, just stay at home when you’re sick, and wash your hands frequently to try to prevent getting sick and spreading germs.”

Since there is now no evidence of human-to-human transmission anywhere, health officials do not want to see needless alarm.

We don’t want an overreaction or excessive anxiety if you know that potential isn’t there yet, as that hasn’t happened.