California Has Declared a State of Emergency Over Bird Flu

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in California related to bird flu. So far, there have been 61 confirmed human cases of the virus in the U.S. with more than half of them in California.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement that called the move “proactive.” The state of emergency was declared after more cases were detected in dairy cows in Southern California. Many of the humans who have contracted the virus work on dairy and poultry farms.

“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. The announcement came on the same day that the Centers for Disease Control reported that the first person to develop a severe illness owing to bird flu had been hospitalized in Louisiana.

It’s not time to completely freak out, though. So far, there are no recorded cases of bird flu, or H5N1, spreading through human-to-human contact. Instead, it comes from contact with animals that carry the disease. It’s probably a good time to quash any lingering curiosity you have about raw milk, though.