California has declared a state of emergency due to the spread of avian influenza, also known as bird flu. The declaration comes after the first severe human case of bird flu was reported in the US, despite no person-to-person transmission being confirmed.
The outbreak has affected 866 dairy herds across the country, with 75% located in California’s Central Valley. The H5N1 virus, which is spread through wild and domestic birds, can also jump to mammals like dairy cows and occasionally humans.
The state of emergency was declared by Governor Gavin Newsom’s office as cases were detected on farms in Southern California. This move aims to expand monitoring and build a coordinated statewide approach to contain the spread of the virus.
So far, no one has died from bird flu in California, but 34 human cases have been reported, including a child. The majority of infected individuals have had known exposure to infected cattle or poultry.
According to the CDC, symptoms of bird flu include eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle and body aches, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and more. However, most cases are mild, and the risk to the general public remains low.
Flu experts say it’s too early to determine if this could become a more severe outbreak, but new research suggests that a single gene mutation may enable the virus to spread between people. Nevertheless, the CDC emphasizes that the risk of transmission is still low, at least for now.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/health/flu/avian-influenza-bird-flu-spread-triggers-state-of-emergency-in-california