California, USA: California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the Avian Influenza A (H5N1) outbreak, commonly known as bird flu, which has infected 34 people in the state.

The decision was made on Wednesday after cases of the virus were detected in dairy cows at farms in Southern California. The governor's office stated that this development highlights the need for expanded monitoring and an enhanced statewide effort to contain and manage the spread of the virus.

Currently, no cases of person-to-person transmission have been reported in California. Most of the infected individuals had direct exposure to the affected cattle, as confirmed by a press release from the governor’s office. The state has already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the country to address the outbreak, according to Xinhua news agency.

The H5N1 virus has now spread to 16 states, primarily affecting dairy cattle, after its first detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows.

Since April, 61 human cases of bird flu have been reported nationwide, with the CDC confirming that a person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of the virus.

No person-to-person transmission of the virus has been reported in California, where those exposed to the virus have primarily had contact with infected cows. As of December 13, California’s Department of Public Health reported that 33 cows had tested positive for H5N1.

To protect workers on dairy farms, California has sent protective gear and advised people working with cows or raw milk to wear it in order to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

The bird flu was first detected in the US among wild birds in South Carolina in January 2022, followed by a detection in California’s wild bird population in July 2022.