Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in California after the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus was found in dairy cows in the southern part of the state. Although experts say the risk to the public is low, this new development has raised concerns.
The H5N1 virus, known for its ability to spread among birds, has been making its way through US dairy herds since March, affecting at least 16 states. While no human-to-human spread has been reported so far, there have been 61 cases of the virus in humans, with 34 of those in California.
Governor Newsom emphasized that this emergency declaration will give state agencies the resources they need to respond quickly and contain the virus. He reassured the public that although the risk to human health remains low, the state is taking all the necessary steps to stop the virus from spreading further.
The H5N1 virus is particularly concerning because of its potential to cause severe illness in humans. Since 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 860 cases of human infection, with nearly half of those cases resulting in death.
The virus first began spreading in the US poultry farms, leading to the culling of over 100 million birds. Now, it has made its way to California’s dairy farms, with infections being found among cows. California is the first state to officially declare a state of emergency in response, although Colorado issued a more limited disaster alert back in July.
The state is working closely with dairy and poultry farms to protect workers from being exposed to the virus, as most of the human cases have been linked to people in direct contact with infected animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed the first case of severe illness in a Louisiana patient who was in close contact with sick and dead birds.
Despite the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assured the public that grocery store beef and dairy products are safe to eat, but they caution against consuming raw milk. This comes as people wonder: will this bird flu outbreak lead to more serious consequences, or will it remain contained?
