California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has declared a state of emergency over avian influenza among dairy cattle, a stark recognition of the growing severity of the spread of the infection. The announcement came after news that an individual in Louisiana was hospitalized with the first serious case of bird flu in humans in the United States. California was not among the first states to detect the avian influenza virus, H5N1, in dairy cattle.
But since first identifying an infected herd in late August, the state Agriculture Department has found the virus in 645 on dairy farms, about half of them in the past 30 days alone. The emergency declaration provides state and local authorities with the resources they need to contain the outbreak, including hiring staff or issuing contracts.
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to quickly respond to this epidemic,” Newsom said. “Although the risk to the population remains low, we will continue to take all necessary measures to prevent the spread of this virus,” added the state governor.