On Oct. 24, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that two people who had presumptive positive tests run by WA-DOH earlier in the week had tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) after an outbreak at a commercial poultry farm in Franklin County (WA). Confirmatory test results on other samples are pending.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission at this time. All the identified infections are among workers who had contact with infected birds or their environments. No patients have experienced severe illness or been hospitalized.

WA-DOH, BFHD, and additional partners are providing personal protective equipment (PPE), outreach and education for the workers, and the community. Medications for exposed workers, and seasonal influenza vaccines are also being offered to workers.

Seasonal influenza vaccines do not protect against avian influenza infection, but they make it less likely that a person could get coinfected with both seasonal influenza and avian influenza at the same time. Coinfection increases the risk that a strain of avian influenza virus could arise that spreads easily from person-to-person. WA-DOH recommends seasonal influenza vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older, and they are also supporting efforts to make vaccine more available for agricultural workers across the state. Additional testing, contact tracing, and symptom monitoring is occurring for the impacted workforce.

Any employees or contractors who may have worked on a poultry farm in Benton or Franklin counties since October 7, 2024, should contact BFHD at 509-460-4550 if they have symptoms, such as red eyes, feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, or other influenza-like illness.

Avian influenza is a disease caused by influenza Type A viruses that naturally occur in wild aquatic birds throughout the world. These viruses can also infect other species of birds, and occasionally mammals, and can cause significant mortality in poultry.

On rare occasions, avian influenza viruses infect people and make them sick. Most instances of people becoming infected with avian influenza have happened after prolonged, close contact with animals infected with avian influenza or environments contaminated with avian influenza.