After 20 Upper Peninsula dairy workers all developed flu-like symptoms earlier this year, state officials investigated whether it was bird flu.
Milk testing revealed that the cows were not infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, which has killed millions of chickens, infected 978 dairy herds, and sickened dozens of people across the country.
However, it took two weeks for the milk to be tested, according to an immigrant legal service, and even longer for farmworkers to receive personal protective equipment when needed. The employees were also never tested for bird flu.
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) claims that a slow response from state and local health departments highlights “the wide gaps that exist” in the current bird flu response, leaving farmworkers vulnerable and increasing the risk of the virus spreading further.
“The animal production industry frequently treats its workers as disposable, but now is the time for Michigan to prioritize worker health,” said Christine Sauvé, communications and policy manager at MIRC, in a statement. “Not just for the workers’ sake, but to stop the spread of avian flu and protect the health of all Michiganders.”
Although the public risk of bird flu remains low, H5N1 continues to spread. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned that the virus will evolve and spread to humans, emphasizing the importance of protecting farmworkers on the front lines of the crisis.
A timeline of sick U.P. workers provided by MIRC indicates that “Michigan is not ready to respond with the swiftness” required to contain the spread of bird flu. State officials declined to confirm the law firm’s account but did not directly deny the allegations.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stated that it “quickly responded” to reports of sick farmworkers and collaborated with a local health department to offer “translation services, influenza testing, influenza vaccination, and personal protective equipment.
“MIRC also declined to provide specific information about the dairy workers who fear retaliation from their employer. Approximately half of the nation’s dairy workers are immigrants, with an unknown number being undocumented.
A timeline of responding to sick workers
On January 17, Upper Peninsula dairy workers reported being sick with a flu-like illness.
It spread quickly, with one worker describing it as “a cough that none of us have been able to avoid,” in a statement translated from Spanish to English. All of the workers became infected and spent at least one day in bed with a fever and a sore throat.
According to MIRC, the local health department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services struggled to provide workers with personal protective equipment quickly, and bird flu tests took weeks to become available.
A testing site was not established until February 14, but MIRC claims that “due to miscommunication and confusion about whether their employer would allow them to attend,” no workers showed up.
Workers were then given PPE on February 17, following a month of MIRC requests for supplies.
One employee stated that the equipment “arrived a little late” but was grateful that it arrived.
“Having PPE helps protect us daily,” according to the statement. “When the cows are moved or milked, they occasionally sneeze in our faces. The PPE has prevented us from getting cow mucus in our faces.”
While the workers waited for equipment, MIRC reports that the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tested the farm’s milk for H5N1 within two weeks of the reported illness.
MDARD declined to confirm whether it tested the specific farm where workers became ill, but the state agency did say it tested milk from all Upper Peninsula dairy farms. All tested negative for H5N1.
“The response to test the animals was much faster than the response to human workers,” MIRC stated in a news release.
State health officials say they “quickly responded” to sick worker reports and followed all federal bird flu guidance. This includes only testing people who have been exposed to sick animals, as well as providing farmworkers with flu testing, vaccines, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
“Recent bulk milk testing at Upper Peninsula dairy farms by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza, which meant exposure to animals sick with HPAI was not suspected among these farmworkers,” the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.
Despite the negative results, the state health department says it still provided PPE at the workers’ request. Health officials also provided flu testing to the workers because they became ill at a time “when there was extremely high respiratory virus activity.”
However, none of the workers have been able to get a flu shot to date, according to MIRC, despite health officials recommending that dairy and poultry workers get a seasonal flu vaccine to reduce the risk of coinfection.
There is currently no H5N1 vaccine available for humans.
Bird flu and farmworkers
Despite efforts by state agencies, some experts and advocates believe the current federal guidance is insufficient to protect dairy workers.
Of the 70 human bird flu cases reported, 41 were among dairy workers, including two confirmed cases in Michigan. Dairy workers are especially vulnerable to bird flu because the virus is easily transmitted through cow’s milk and snot.
Michigan was a hotbed for bird flu last spring, when the virus struck the state’s largest egg farm, killing 6.5 million chickens and spreading quickly among dairy herds. The state agriculture agency responded by issuing an emergency order requiring dairy farms to develop biosecurity plans and restricting cow exhibitions.
To avoid illness, federal health officials recommend that farmworkers who come into contact with “potentially infected” cows wear PPE such as respirators, goggles, and gloves. Last year, MDARD Director Tim Boring stated that proper use of PPE “is the best tool we have to protect farmworkers.”
Despite this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that last year, very few dairy workers exposed to H5N1 on Michigan and Colorado farms wore full personal protective equipment. And none of the workers infected with bird flu wore any protective gear.
According to MIRC, state and local health departments have demonstrated a “sincere willingness to help,” but finding resources to support farmworkers remains difficult.
“The experience of dairy workers around the state highlights a major disconnect between what animal production workers are advised to do if they have been exposed to avian flu and the actual resources available to them,” the attorney’s office stated.
Dairy workers across the country have reported limited illness testing and a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). In Michigan, farmworkers in Barry and Kent counties reported difficulty accessing health clinics and receiving flu vaccines.
“The agencies should be better prepared, so that when there is a request or someone is ill, the agency can respond quicker to those who need the protective equipment,” the employee from the U.P. said. “If the protective equipment had arrived faster, we might not all have gotten sick.”
