Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in response to new cases of bird flu detected in dairy cows on Southern California farms.
The virus, also known as Avian Influenza A, has spread to cows in 16 states after it was first detected in Texas and Kansas earlier this year.
The state has detected no person-to-person transmission so far, but 34 human cases have been reported in California.
Local and federal officials have mobilized to track and contain the spread.
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement.
California has the largest testing and monitoring system in the nation, according to the governor’s office.
The emergency declaration comes the same day as Federal health officials are addressing the first severe case of bird flu detected in a human during the U.S. outbreak.
Louisiana health officials initially reported the infection last week, saying a person was hospitalized after being exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
The CDC confirmed it as a case of bird flu.There's no indication the person spread it to others, and the case doesn't change the CDC's assessment that the risk to the general public remains low.
