00:00Cases of avian flu have been decimating bird populations for years, more recently making the
00:05jump to sea mammals. This year, cases were detected amongst farm animals and even human
00:09workers at those farms. And while they were contained, experts now say that the number
00:13of cases is likely much higher, with countless incidents going undetected.
00:18According to a recent investigation by the CDC, blood samples from some 115 dairy workers in
00:23Michigan and Colorado showed many more of them had bird flu antibodies than those who were
00:28diagnosed with avian flu. In fact, they found that 7% of all of those tested had H5N1 antibodies.
00:34This is a good news-bad news situation. The good news is that most of those who have contracted
00:39the virus seemingly have little to no symptoms. The bad news is that when a virus strain like
00:43this one spreads, it has more chances to mutate within its human hosts, possibly leading to more
00:48severe symptoms and contagion potential. This is something that has already occurred in Cambodia,
00:52with a new strain of the virus having claimed at least three lives so far.
00:56The CDC, along with healthcare workers around the globe, have reiterated the need for close
01:01monitoring and precautionary measures related to the spread of H5N1, with both groups urging
01:06those who work closely with possibly infected animals to maintain good hygiene practices.
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