The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans on Tuesday to invest $10 million in efforts to curb bird flu infections among farm workers. This initiative includes dedicating $5 million specifically for seasonal flu vaccines.

Since 2022, the bird flu outbreak has impacted poultry flocks in nearly every US state and over 170 dairy herds in 13 states, resulting in 13 confirmed cases of farm worker infections in Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Nine of these cases occurred in July among workers culling infected chickens at two poultry farms in Colorado.

CDC Principal Director Nirav Shah assured the public that the overall risk remains minimal. “The risk of bird flu to the general public is still low,” Shah said during a call with reporters. He also mentioned  that there are  no additional human tests pending confirmation, though more cases in Colorado or elsewhere could arise”,  according to a report by Reuters.

To assist farm workers, the CDC will allocate $5 million to groups such as the National Center for Farmworker Health for bird flu prevention education and training.

An additional $5 million will be used to provide seasonal flu vaccinations to farm workers. Although the seasonal flu vaccine doesn’t guard against bird flu, decreasing the likelihood of simultaneous infections may help prevent virus mutations.

Also read | Bird flu in humans in the US: Here’s all you need to know

“Reducing seasonal flu among these workers, who are at risk of bird flu , could lower the chances of new influenza strains developing, ” Shah said.

The CDC’s aims to vaccinate approximately 200,000 livestock workers across the US during this flu season, collaborating with states to create effective vaccination strategies, Shah added.

USDA undersecretary Eric Deeble, expressed optimism about controlling the disease, said, “The USDA optimistic about halting the spread of bird flu among dairy cows and eventually eradicate the disease.”