WASHINGTON – In the wake of a growing number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among dairy cows in multiple states across the country, officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are endorsing protecting farmworkers from being infected.

On May 6, Nirav D. Shah, CDC principal deputy director, discussed the topic of utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of the disease from livestock to farmworkers and requested that jurisdictions provide workers on dairy farms and poultry farms as well as those working in slaughtering plants, with personal protective equipment (PPE).

According to the agency, “CDC asked state health departments to work with their state agriculture department counterparts and partners in communities, such as farmworker organizations, that can help coordinate and facilitate PPE distributions.” The agency added that it is committed to backing up state health officials and offered to deploy support for states within 24 hours of it being requested.

Shah advised that farms with herds where a confirmed case has been discovered be given priority in the distribution of PPE, noting that some dairy farms have already been sent PPE. While some jurisdictions have existing stockpiles of PPE to distribute, Shah gave state health officials instructions on requesting and accessing more from the national stockpile maintained by the Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR).

While the CDC considers the immediate risk of infection to the public to be low, Shah stressed the importance of states to be proactive in protecting those at higher risk due to their exposure on the job. Meanwhile, the CDC said it is continuing to stay in contact with local health departments, public health veterinarians and farmworker groups to ensure communication about outbreaks are shared with stakeholders.