NATIONAL NEWS – California declares emergency after bird flu hits dairy farms

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

California officials have declared a state of emergency as bird flu spreads among dairy farms. The outbreak, first detected in March, has infected numerous dairy cows and caused sporadic human cases. The virus, identified as Type A H3N1, has affected at least 866 herds across 16 states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 60 mild human cases across eight states, with one severe case hospitalized in Louisiana. Experts have noted there are no signs of person-to-person transmission but caution that it is too early to predict the outbreak’s trajectory.