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CDC calls for expanded bird flu testing after more dairy worker infections found in Colorado and Michigan

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Federal health officials on Thursday called for more testing of employees on farms with bird flu after a new study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick.

Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered treatment even if they show no symptoms, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new guidance comes after blood tests for 115 farmworkers in Michigan and Colorado showed that eight workers — or 7% — had antibodies that indicated previous infection with the virus known as Type A H5N1 influenza.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.



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As harvest season winds up, many cannabis companies prefer to grow outdoors, despite challenges

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For cannabis growers who plant outdoors, turning leaves signify the fall harvest. During the month of October — colloquially known as Croptober — cultivators throughout Colorado cut down their marijuana fields, the first step in the plants’ journey to reach consumers at dispensaries.

Growing outside is reminiscent of the days before cannabis was legal, when producers raised their crop in hidden fields rather than in today’s high-tech indoor operations, which come with expensive lighting apparatuses, air monitoring equipment and soil treatment.

But, it isn’t easy. Growers contend with unpredictable weather, pests and natural disasters, like wildfires. They also face a long-rooted stigma that sun-grown cannabis is inferior to the flower grown indoors. Still, those who grow outside — including with greenhouses — point to plenty of benefits. Lower startup and operational costs allow them to increase their profit margins, while their operations have a lesser impact on the environment.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.



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