Governor Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency in response to bird flu

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday “to streamline and accelerate the state’s response” to bird flu.

The statement is a result of several cases being discovered in Southern California dairy cows.

The governor’s office says the emergency proclamation will give state and local agencies additional flexibility in areas such as staffing and contracting.

There has been no confirmed person-to-person spread of the virus, as almost all cases in California involve people who have come into contact with infected cattle.

Avian flu in the United States

Bird flu was first detected in the United States in the wild bird population of South Carolina in January 2022 and then in California six months later.

In March, an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows was first reported in Texas and Kansas. Since then, there have been a total of 61 reported confirmed human cases of bird flu infection in seven states, including 34 reported human cases in California.

In August, after its detection in 13 other states, bird flu was confirmed in a dairy cow in central California.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first serious case of bird flu in the United States.

A person over the age of 65 with underlying medical conditions is listed in critical condition at a Louisiana hospital. Officials say the patient is experiencing severe respiratory illness related to bird flu infection.