Calif. declares state of emergency over bird flu cases

Following the spread of bird flu in 16 states, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency on Wednesday within California.

The announcement came after an individual in Louisiana was hospitalized with bird flu, marking the first American to become seriously ill with the disease. Although bird flu does not spread well among people, the past few weeks have seen increased cases among livestock.

The outbreak was first announced on March 25, 2024, after infected dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported. Since then, there have been 61 confirmed confirmed cases of bird flu infection in humans across seven states, including 34 reported human cases in California.

California’s governor says that he hopes to enhance the state’s preparedness further and accelerate the ongoing cross-agency response efforts to avian influenza A(H5N1).

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak. Building on California’s testing and monitoring system — the largest in the nation — we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information,” Newsome said. “While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

On August 30, 2024, following its detection in 13 other states, bird flu was confirmed in a dairy cow in Central California, and the California Department of Public Health immediately activated its Medical Health Coordination Center.

California’s Department of Agriculture has since found the virus in 645 diaries within the state, about half of those found in the past 30 days. Additionally, the state has also recalled raw milk products from both Valley Milk Simply Bottled dairy farms as well as Raw Farm LLC after samples tested positive for the avian flu virus. 

Among its responses, California says it will provide public updates, multilingual outreach to dairy and poultry workers, social media efforts, online and printed resources, and media interviews to keep residents informed. In addition, the state is making seasonal flu vaccines available to agriculture workers to reduce concurrent flu risks.