California Governor Declares Emergency Over Bird Flu Outbreak

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared on Thursday an emergency following an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus detected in the state’s dairy cattle, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

The virus has spread to cattle in 16 states since its initial identification in Texas and Kansas earlier this year. Although no human-to-human transmission has been reported, nearly all infected individuals were exposed to the virus through contact with infected cattle.

Governor Newsom emphasized that the public risk remains low but pledged to take all necessary measures to prevent further spread. He stated, “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak.”

California, home to over 1,100 dairy farms, has seen confirmed cases in 645 facilities, with 311 cases reported in the past month. Currently, only 56 dairies have been cleared from quarantine, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.