California Governor announces state of emergency after outbreak of bird flu
Date
12/19/2024 7:18:37 AM
(MENAFN) California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus within the state’s dairy cattle population. The virus, which has been spreading across the U.S., was first identified in Texas and Kansas in March this year and has since been detected in cattle in 16 states. Although there has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission, Newsom’s office confirmed that nearly all infected individuals had been exposed to the virus through contact with infected cattle.
While Newsom reassured the public that the risk to human health "remains low," he emphasized the state's commitment to preventing further spread of the virus. “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement. He also highlighted California's testing and monitoring system, which is the largest in the nation, and affirmed that the state would continue working to protect public health and support the agriculture industry.
California is home to over 1,100 dairy farms, which account for approximately one-fifth of the nation's dairy production. Of these, more than half—645 farms—have had confirmed cases of bird flu in their cattle, with 311 facilities reporting outbreaks in the past 30 days alone. The California Department of Food and Agriculture noted that only 56 dairies have been cleared and released from quarantine so far.
As the outbreak continues to spread, the state is working to contain the virus and ensure that accurate, up-to-date information is available to both the public and the agricultural community. The emergency declaration provides additional resources to state agencies, allowing them to respond more efficiently to the ongoing crisis.
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