A presumptive positive case of avian flu has been reported in Wisconsin, while California’s governor declared a state of emergency due to the virus’s expansion beyond Central Valley dairy farms to southern California. The CDC is awaiting confirmation testing results, which would lift the total US count since the start of the year to 62 from nine states.
A commercial farm in Barron County, with approximately 13,000 breeder turkeys, was linked to the initial case. Farm workers exposed to sick poultry are being monitored for symptoms, and officials emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low.
Meanwhile, California’s H5N1 outbreaks have affected nearly half of the state’s dairy farms, with the nation’s top dairy producer implementing expanded monitoring and response measures.
The USDA has added 12 more states to its National Milk Testing Strategy, covering 50% of national production, as it escalates its response to the virus. The latest confirmed cases include cows, poultry, and wild birds in several states, including Texas, Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah.
Wild bird H5N1 detections have also increased, with over 120 reported cases across the US, most from late October to early December.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/wisconsin-reports-presumptive-avian-flu-poultry-worker-california-declares