A Prison Inmate in Colorado Test Positive for Bird Flu

NORTHRIDGE, CA - A Colorado prison inmate has become the first person in the United States to test positive for bird flu last week. The recent outbreak of bird flu has caused millions of chickens and turkeys to perish. Federal officials say that they do not see much of a threat towards the general public. The new variant is known as the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Photo Credit, Charlie Neibergall, File. Turkey chicks standing in a barn on a turkey farm in Manson, Iowa.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the man was in a prerelease program and was assisting with the removal of chickens from an infected farm.

According to CDC officials, the man reported fatigue for a few days but has already recovered. He has been isolated and is being treated with an antiviral drug. The man is under the age of 40.

Those that participated in the chicken removal operation in Colorado have tested negative so far. For further precautions, they are being tested again.

Lisa Wiley, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections, said that the man was part of a crew of inmates close to release, who had been working on the farm prior to the first case of bird flu on April 19.

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Once bird flu was detected at the farm in Montrose County, Colorado, the inmates were asked to help kill and remove the chickens.

Agriculture officials have reported an outbreak at another Montrose County farm with 58,000 broiler breeder chickens.

Although many birds have been infected, the CDC believes that the chances of a human contracting bird flu is low. The spread of this virus requires close contact with an infected bird.

There have been various bird flu viruses that have infected people worldwide since the 1990's, but health officials still say human infection is rare.

The new H5N1 variant has been spreading to backyard and commercial chicken and turkey flocks in the U.S. since late February.

Audio - A local doctor explains how the risk of humans catching bird flu is low.

By, Micah Hall

Contributions, U.S. News

Photo, Charlie Neibergall

Audio, Micah Hall

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