California Declares Emergency over H5N1 Virus Outbreak

By Staff, Agencies

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency after new cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were detected in dairy cows in southern California, while insisting that the risk to the general public remains low.

The virus has been spreading through US dairy cattle herds since March, affecting at least 16 states. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] reports no confirmed human-to-human transmission so far, at least 61 human cases have been detected across the country, including 34 in California.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure that government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement on Wednesday. “While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

The H5N1 virus is considered particularly dangerous with regard to human infections. The World Health Organization [WHO] has recorded more than 860 confirmed cases since 2003, with about 53% resulting in death.

No deaths have been reported in the US as part of the current outbreak, which began in 2022 on poultry farms and led to the culling of more than 100 million birds in an attempt to control the spread of the disease. California is the first state to declare an emergency, though Colorado issued a targeted ‘disaster’ alert in July.

Newsom’s declaration follows the detection of new infections on dairy farms in southern California. The state has already implemented measures to combat bird flu by working with dairy and poultry farms to minimize employee exposure, as most cases are linked to dairy and poultry workers.

The CDC confirmed the first case of severe illness in a person due to bird flu from a Louisiana case on Wednesday. The patient was reportedly in close contact with sick and dead birds from a backyard flock.

The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has assured consumers that grocery-shelf beef and dairy products are safe to consume but advised against drinking raw milk.