California became the first state in the country on Wednesday to declare a statewide emergency over the H5N1 bird flu.
With federal data showing the Golden State is home to over half of the reported human cases of bird flu across the U.S., Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued a proclamation “to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak.”
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak. While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” Newsom said in a statement.
The governor’s announcement follows the outbreak of the virus among dairy cows in southern California.
Thirty-four of the 61 human H5N1 cases nationwide are located in California, per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus, so far, has spread only through animal-to-human transmission. There is no record of human-to-human transmission, according to California’s Department of Public Health.
Minor outbreaks of the virus have been popping up across the country since March, mostly in connection to the agricultural industry.
The risk of bird flu infection is very low for the majority of people in the U.S., according to Yale Medicine.
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Many people who are infected with bird flu often experience no symptoms. Others come down with a mild flu-like illness, while more serious symptoms can lead to hospitalization and, in rare instances, death. Cough, fatigue, fever, headaches, body aches, runny nose, and shortness of breath are some possible symptoms of bird flu.
The first severe case of bird flu was confirmed in a human patient in Louisiana on Wednesday.
