The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced July 31 it will spend $10 million in federal funds for avian flu response among livestock employees.  In the announcement, CDC cited nine cases of avian influenza (H5N1) in Colorado (no infected dairy herds or poultry flocks have been reported in California), with symptoms described as mild, primarily conjunctivitis (pink eye).  According to Nirav Shah, principal Deputy Director of CDC, the agency will spend $5 million with “partner organizations” focusing on outreach and education efforts” directed at livestock employees.  $4 million of that will go to the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH), which has been providing training and information about the potential human impact of the H5N1 virus and to encourage testing for the virus.

CDC will spend an additional $5 million on seasonal influenza vaccines for livestock employees, on the theory that “co-infection” of H5N1 with human-communicable seasonal influenza viruses could result in viral genetic “reassortment” resulting in a more communicable and virulent bird flu virus.  Seasonal flu vaccines provide no protection from H5N1.  CDC says states affected by the avian flu outbreaks will develop their own vaccination programs with funding and assistance from CDC.