On Wednesday, Governor Newsom
proclaimed a State of Emergency in response to the growing
number of cases of Avian influenza A (H5N1), also known as Bird
Flu. The emergency proclamation is intended to provide state and
local agencies with flexibility related to staffing, contracting,
and other rules to support the state’s coordinated response.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) continues to
emphasize
that the current risk to the public remains low, with the
greatest risk facing those who interact with infected dairy cows,
poultry, or wildlife. As of Wednesday, there have been 61 total
confirmed cases of Bird Flu in humans across eight states, with
34 of those reported cases in California across nine counties. To
date, there have been no known instances of human-to-human
transmission of the infection and nearly all infected individuals
had exposure to infected cattle.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) began
monitoring California herds in March after an outbreak of Bird
Flu in dairy cows was first reported in Texas and Kansas. On
August 30, 2024, the first confirmed case of Bird Flu in a dairy
cow was confirmed. Since then, California has mobilized CPDH,
CDFA, and other federal, state, and local agencies to establish a
robust testing, surveillance, and quarantine response system.
These coordinated efforts also include public outreach and
education and the delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE)
to high-risk agricultural workers.
CDPH and CDFA will host a virtual briefing on the California’s
Bird Flu cases and response on Friday, December 20 at 11:00 a.m.
During the briefing, California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica
Pan and California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones will
expand on protective actions California is taking to reduce human
exposure to Bird Flu. The briefing will be recorded and made
available after the event.
Register here.
Additional information on Bird Flu in California, including how
best to avoid infection and the symptoms to look for if infection
is suspected, is available on CDPH’s
website.
