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California officials have declare a state of emergency amid grow fears over avian influenza . The virus has swept through dairy herds across the state and make sporadic showcase in mankind , with thefirst stark human bird flu case in the U.S. reported in Louisianaon Wednesday ( Dec. 18 ) .

In astatement released Dec. 18,Governor Gavin Newsom ’s office said that the action come " as character were detected in dairy farm cow on farm in Southern California , bespeak the motivation to further blow up monitoring and build on the coordinated statewide access to contain and extenuate the paste of the virus . "

Microscope image of bird flu virus H5N1 in cells

The virus H5N1 is a subtype of avian influenza, or bird flu, that spreads primarily through wild and domestic birds. However, it can also jump to mammals, including humans.

To day of the month , no someone - to - person spread of the virus has been report in the U.S. and the absolute majority of infect individuals have had knownexposure to infected cattle or poultry .

Why has California declared a state of emergency?

The computer virus H5N1 is a subtype of avian influenza , or shuttle flu . The computer virus is distribute primarily through wild and domesticated birds . However , it can also rise to mammalian , such as dairy cattle and occasionally humans .

Since the showtime of 2024 , a multistate outbreak of the virus has strike 866 dairy farm herd across the U.S. , according to theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC).Roughly 75 % of these have been in California , mostly in the state ’s Central Valley .

come to : How to avoid bird flu

a photo of agricultural workers with chickens

Thirty - four of the Carry Amelia Moore Nation ’s 61 substantiate human bird flu vitrine have also been describe in California , includingthe first infected child .

Newsom say that the emergency proclamation was a proactive measure to ensure land and local office have the resources and tractableness they involve to answer speedily to the eruption .

" While the risk of infection to the public remains abject , we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the bed covering of this computer virus , " Newsom say in the statement .

a photo of a cat

What are bird flu symptoms?

With the exception of the affected role in Louisiana , the majority of human bird flu infections so far have been mild .

accord to theCDC , bird flu may have the take after symptom :

— Bat after part used to grow cannabis kills 2 in New York in unusual cases

Sick woman blowing her nose while covered with a blanket.

— build - eating human being parasite sweeping across Central America is raising concerns in US — what to get it on

— Raw milk from US dairy farm must now be tested for hiss flu

influenza experts have say that it is too early to say whether this could become a more severe outbreak , and grippe viruses are incessantly changing and mutating . A recent study focused on an H5N1 mental strain from a cow suggested that asingle gene mutation may activate the virus to fan out between people , and the infectioncould become more dangerous if it initiate to mix with other seasonal flu viruses . However , the CDC says that the endangerment to the general public is currently still low .

Image of five influenza viruses, depicted in bright colors

This article is for informational use only and is not meant to offer aesculapian advice .

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