The California Department of Public Health is reporting the state’s first human cases of H5N1 bird flu in two dairy workers who had contact with infected dairy cattle in the Central Valley.

The department is investigating in conjunction with local health agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has confirmed that both workers had the bird flu virus, the state health agency said Thursday.

The specific locations of the suspected infections were not announced, and the individuals were not being identified for privacy reasons.

Both individuals had mild symptoms and the risk to the general public remains low, although people who interact with infected animals are at higher risk of getting bird flu, the department said.

Although there is no vaccine for bird flu, state health officials are advising all residents, especially those at risk for exposure to bird flu, to get a seasonal flu vaccine. Doing so will decrease the risk of being infected with both viruses at the same time and possible severe complications.

Providing Personal Protective Equipment and Vaccines

The department has been tracking bird flu and making preparations for a possible human infection since the flu was first detected in poultry in 2022. The virus has migrated from birds to dairy cattle, which caused the Big Fresno Fair to announce recently that there will be no live cattle showings or sales this year.

Related Story: Big Fresno Fair Says Cows Must Stay Home This Year

The infected individuals work at Central Valley dairy facilities experiencing an outbreak of bird flu among dairy cattle. The workers had mild symptoms and reported only eye redness and no respiratory issues.

The workers are being treated with antiviral medication and are staying home.

To protect workers who have contact with poultry and cattle, the state Department of Public Health has distributed more than 340,000 respirators, 1.3 million gloves, 160,000 goggles and face shields, and 168,000 bouffant caps over the past four months.

In addition, the department is working with local public health agencies to provide health checks of workers and is distributing extra seasonal flu vaccines doses to local health departments with the highest number of dairy farms.