bird flu california, Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom sees the necessity to place the State of Emergency enhancement and improvement of Avian Influenza A response of California, better known as bird flu. This follows the finding of cases in dairy herds in the southern portion of the state and needs the broader utilization of surveillance systems as well as the enhancement of the overall statewide system. Since its earliest detection in Kansas and Texas in March this year, the outbreak has claimed the beef of – dairy-cattle across as many as 16 states to date.
At the moment, the majority of people that got Avian Flu in California got it by coming into contact with infected heronas, and no case of primary body-to-body transmission has been established, let alone any secondary cases of person to person transmission. As this outbreak is progressing, California has already developed the most aggressive testing and surveillance system in the country.
The emergency declaration gives added scope to state and municipal agencies with respect to staffing, contracts, and other regulations to better be able to cope with the evolving demands of the state.
Ongoing Activities in Preventing Spread and Severe Infections
California initiated a comprehensive, cross-agency response to address the Bird Flu in dairy cattle and poultry farms. The main thrust of the efforts focuses on minimizing exposure of farm workers, preventing contamination of raw dairy products, and curbing the spread of the virus. The state has accessed local, state, and federal expertise to support all aspects of the response. It has run public, health professionals, employers, and workers education campaigns on preventive and control measures; given specific guidance to personal protective equipment requirements and provided millions of PPE items to the high-risk workers of dairy farms.
In cooperation with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and other agencies, the state is giving timely public updates and multilingual outreach to dairy and poultry workers. Some of these initiatives are focused social media campaigns promoting preventive practices, online and printed resources for public education, and media engagements to keep Californians informed. In addition, the state is working on ensuring that agricultural workers will have access to additional doses of the seasonal flu vaccine from the CDC to mitigate the overlapping risks of flu.
California officials are also working very closely with the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture, and the local health and agricultural agencies. It employs a whole-of-government coordination approach aimed at effective surveillance, prompt investigations, and full-scale mitigation in respect of potential cases of Bird Flu.
Bird Flu in the United States
Bird Flu was first reported in the United States among the wild bird population in South Carolina during January 2022 and also reported in California in July 2022. A report of a first case outbreak in dairy cows appeared in Texas and Kansas on March 25, 2024; and then, the CDFA was very prompt to initiate an effort for infection detection among herds in California.
Since then, cases in total amounting to 61 confirmed human cases of Bird Flu have been reported. They were from seven different states, out of which California accounts for 34 such cases.
Bird Flu found a dairy cow in Central California on August 30, 2024, detected after being confirmed in the state of 13. To this situation, it became imperative to react fast since California Department of Public Health initiated its Medical Health Coordination Center.