State Of Emergency Declared Over Bird Flu In CA

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency over the bird flu, which has been detected in cattle at over 600 dairies across the Golden State, and sickened nearly three dozen Californians.

The governor's proclamation follows new H5N1 detections among dairy cows in Southern California, which Newsom said signaled a need to expand monitoring capabilities and establish a "coordinated statewide approach" to limit further spread among livestock.

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

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, lab testing has confirmed bird flu in 645 dairies since the state's first detection in August, including 311 that were confirmed in just the last month. State officials said 56 dairies have since fully recovered and been released from quarantine. As The New York Times reports, the latest outbreak is believed to have started in Texas in March and has since been identified in 865 herds in 16 states.

California also has the majority of the nation's confirmed human bird flu cases, accounting for 34 of 61, including a young child from Alameda County who tested positive for the virus and showed mild symptoms last month. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a second Bay Area child with a suspected case after consuming raw milk did not ultimately test positive for H5N1.

According to the CDC, none of the bird flu cases have involved person-to-person spread, and the official risk assessment to the public remains low. In California, state data shows 33 of the 34 human bird flu cases to be linked to cattle, with one case still classified as undetermined.

California's emergency proclamation came the same day officials announced the first severe human case of bird flu in a Louisiana patient who was listed in crucial condition with severe respiratory illness. CDC officials said the Louisiana case was also the first known exposure linked to sick or dead birds in backyard flocks.

Newsom said his proclamation will grant state and local agencies more flexibility for their response efforts and bolster a cross-agency response to minimize farmworker exposures and reduce further dairy product contamination.

>> Updates about bird flu in California are available on the Department of Public Health's website.