California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to bolster the state’s response to the avian flu outbreak, which is spreading beyond Central Valley dairy herds to farms in southern California. The declaration grants the governor broad power to issue mandates and bypass certain state laws to slow the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a severe human infection of bird flu in a patient from southwest Louisiana, marking the first known case of severe human infection. However, officials say the public health risk remains low due to the virus not spreading among people and being rarely caught from exposure to infected animals.
The avian flu outbreak has affected nearly half of California’s dairy farms, with over 865 dairy herds in 16 states diagnosed this year. The USDA has confirmed five more outbreaks in dairy herds, four from California and one from Texas. Bird flu is not typically spread through the food supply, except in raw milk, which can remain infectious for up to five days.
The state’s local public health officials welcome the declaration, saying it will help rebuild the capacity of the core public health workforce and infrastructure to quickly identify and respond to public health threats. The CDC also announced a new National Milk Testing Strategy, adding more states to the program, including California, which represents half of the nation’s total dairy production.
Source: https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/18/newsom-proclaims-state-of-emergency-in-response-to-bird-flu