FRESNO, CA (KMJ) First term Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare) joined KMJ’s Broeske & Musson on Thursday with reaction to Gov. Newsom’s emergency declaration over a bird flu outbreak in the diary industry.
SACRAMENTO, CA — Following an investigation by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and rapid disease detection by California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed H5N1 Bird Flu in 311 dairies in the last 30 days in California. Since California’s first detection of H5N1 Bird Flu in dairies, there have been a total of 645 infected dairies with 56 of those affected, fully recovered and released from quarantine. All quarantine released dairies will be placed on a surveillance list for weekly testing through creameries to maintain continued monitoring of the virus in California.
Bird Flu in Humans
For the most up to date data on bird flu cases in California, please visit CDPH’s Current Bird Flu Situation dashboard. While the risk to the general public remains low, additional human cases of bird flu are expected to be identified and confirmed in California. CDPH recommends that personal protective equipment (PPE), such as eye protection (face shields or safety goggles), respirators (N95 masks), and gloves be worn by anyone working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the bird flu virus. Wearing PPE helps prevent infection. Please see CDPH’s Please see CDPH’s Worker Protection from Bird Flu for full PPE guidance. For the latest updates from CDPH, visit Bird Flu (ca.gov). If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can submit an inquiry directly to CDPH.
National Detections
This nationwide outbreak of H5N1 Bird Flu began in poultry in 2022 and was first detected in US dairy cattle in March 2024. All national detections in cattle can be found on the USDA website at: HPAI Confirmed Cases in Livestock | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (usda.gov) and all national detections in poultry can be found on the USDA website at: Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (usda.gov)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday “to streamline and expedite the state’s response” to bird flu.
The declaration is a result of more cases being detected in Southern California dairy farm 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 individuals who’ve come into contact with infected cattle.
