--- title: A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different description: The infected dairy worker has a new symptom not reported by the others. canonical: https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-05-30T18:41:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T14:22:27.000Z article:section: Health og:title: A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different og:description: The infected dairy worker has a new symptom not reported by the others. og:url: https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40bde06c4bfd7392/698a5765cabb1d6ee0e54318/GettyImages-2151865875.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2151865875.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different twitter:description: The infected dairy worker has a new symptom not reported by the others. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40bde06c4bfd7392/698a5765cabb1d6ee0e54318/GettyImages-2151865875.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2826de8e-fffc-41d1-9e70-de0d6ba6037b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2826de8e-fffc-41d1-9e70-de0d6ba6037b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=2826de8e-fffc-41d1-9e70-de0d6ba6037b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2826de8e-fffc-41d1-9e70-de0d6ba6037b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Bird Flu Was Found in Chickens at the Largest U.S. Egg Producer [Watch (HLS stream): Bird Flu Was Found in Chickens at the Largest U.S. Egg Producer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PbLybli2.m3u8) (2:05)  _Published 2024-04-04. The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Updated: Jan 19, 2026 2:22 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2024 6:41 PM UTC  Cows queuing for their midway milking at United Dreams Dairy, in North Freedom, Wisconsin on May 8, 2024. Cows queuing for their midway milking at United Dreams Dairy, in North Freedom, Wisconsin on May 8, 2024. Matthew Ludak—The Washington Post/Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Updated: Jan 19, 2026 2:22 PM UTCPublished: May 30, 2024 6:41 PM UTC A third dairy worker in the U.S. has tested positive for the bird flu infection that is causing outbreaks in cattle in at least [nine states](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock). The farmworker, from Michigan, was exposed to infected cows and is the [first of the three recently confirmed cases to have respiratory symptoms](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2024/05/30/h5n1-updates), according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The previous two people—another in Michigan and one in Texas—did not show any respiratory symptoms but experienced discharge from the eyes. The dairy worker in the latest case worked on a different farm in Michigan than the previous case reported in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the dairy worker in the latest case also [experienced “watery discharge” from the eyes](https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0530-h5-human-case-michigan.html), but also reported coughing (with no fever). Tests on samples from the patient performed by Michigan's health department were positive for influenza A(H5), the avian influenza strain. Further tests conducted by CDC scientists confirmed the results. It's not clear whether the respiratory symptoms indicate that the virus is changing; CDC scientists are conducting additional sequencing studies to determine if that's the case. The CDC says there are no spikes in influenza cases among people in areas where the virus has been reported in cows, nor are there any unusual increases in emergency room visits or positive lab tests for influenza. So far, there have also been no reports that the virus was spread from one person to another in the infected workers’ households. In all three cases, the infected workers, as well as their families, were monitored and offered antiviral medications. The state of Michigan is continuing to work with farms to monitor for sick animals and symptoms in farmworkers and has tested 45 people so far, says Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. For now, the CDC says the outbreak in cows does not pose a significant health threat to people who don’t routinely work with the animals. Those who do, however, should wear protective equipment and practice caution when handling sick or dead animals, including birds and cows, as well as monitor and report any flu-likesymptoms to their local health department. In the first Michigan case, the farmworker was directed exposed to contaminated milk that splashed in his eye, and he was not wearing any protective equipment. In the latest case, the worker was not wearing a mask and worked directly with a sick animal, says Bagdasarian. "Two points to take home are that so far, people who are at risk are those who have direct, sustained exposure to sick animals, and second, that neither was wearing full personal protective equipment," she says. "So right now the risk to the general public is very low. There are no secondary cases of infections from these individuals, no sustained human-to-human transmission, and no cases outside of dairy workers." Still, there are things that everyone else can do to protect themselves. Avoid raw milk, which has not been pasteurized, the CDC advises. The temperatures required for pasteurization generally inactivate the virus, so pasteurized milk remains safe to drink, according to the agency. ## Transcript Regards to avian flu or or bird flu. We are definitely taking this. Seriously. This is the first time we are seeing avian flu in cattle and cows and we haven't seen that previously obviously had been in chicken poultry before and that is where are heavy efforts have been in terms of monitoring. So the fact that it is in cattle now is a definitely raises Our concern level and we have to work to do to better understand that the virus is the same strain of the virus that we have seen in chickens in the past. So it's not a new strain of the virus. So this is known to us and we've been studying it and frankly we've been preparing for avian flu for 20 years, which is a completely novel or new virus avian flu is known to us, and we've been thinking about vaccine And treatment and test on for quite a number of years but this is a new development cows mammals being a reservoir give this virus new opportunity to change and that's what we're watching for really closely has this virus changed or is it changing that would make it more likely to spread from human-to-human. The good news is right now in the United States, we've never had a documented case of human-to-human spread of avian flu, but that's what we're watching for me to understand how this virus is changing today. It's the same version of the virus, but as we've all learned through covid these viruses change very quickly. So we are our meeting to watch it closely. We have to sequence these we have to stay ahead of it and we're monitoring and taking this very closely. Our agriculture partners are on the grounds are our Public Health Partners are on the ground. They're just state and local are one team and that is what we've been working on very closely at CDC to be that one team. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/"},"headline":"A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different","datePublished":"2024-05-30T18:41:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T14:22:27.000Z","description":"The infected dairy worker has a new symptom not reported by the others.","url":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/","keywords":["Public Health","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40bde06c4bfd7392/698a5765cabb1d6ee0e54318/GettyImages-2151865875.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40bde06c4bfd7392/698a5765cabb1d6ee0e54318/GettyImages-2151865875.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-2151865875.jpg","caption":"Cows queuing for their midway milking at United Dreams Dairy, in North Freedom, Wisconsin on May 8, 2024.","creditText":"Matthew Ludak—The Washington Post/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/public-health/","name":"Public Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/","name":"A Third Person in the U.S. Has Bird Flu. This Time, It's Different"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Bird Flu Was Found in Chickens at the Largest U.S. Egg Producer","description":"The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PbLybli2/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2024-04-04T14:07:19.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PbLybli2.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/","duration":"PT2M5S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6983927/bird-flu-outbreak-person-infected/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```