Bird flu update California announced an emergency, and the U.S. sees its 1st severe human case. In reaction to the continued spread of avian flu among dairy cattle, California Governor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency. Concern for the situation in California, which has emerged as the focal point of the country’s cattle outbreak, is evident in the announcement.
Update on bird flu: California issues an emergency, and the United States records its first serious human case
In only the past 30 days, almost 300 dairy herds in California have tested positive. Cases found in dairy cows on Southern California farms, according to the governor, demonstrated the need for more extensive monitoring and a more unified statewide response to the outbreak.
According to the release, “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need,” Newsom stated. “While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”
Approximately half of all known human illnesses in the United States currently occur in California.
Neither California nor the rest of the nation has any indications of continuous human-to-human transmission. However, researchers caution that unchecked proliferation in dairy cattle increases the possibility of human contamination, which could allow the virus to develop harmful mutations.
Additional information regarding that infection was released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials on Wednesday. The patient was a Louisiana resident who was admitted to the hospital after coming into contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
The H5N1 virus that causes the sickness, according to genetic sequencing, is connected to a different genetic lineage that is circulating in wild birds and poultry than the one that is proliferating in dairy cattle and causing the bulk of infections in agricultural workers.
Over 60 people have been infected in the United States thus far, while some research indicates the official number may be underestimated. People have mostly developed mild ailments as a result of the diseases associated with dairy cattle.
In the Louisiana case, the virus is of the D1.1 genotype. It has already surfaced in Washington state poultry workers, who tested positive in October and experienced moderate symptoms. But more recently, this D1.1 variant of the virus sent a teenager to the hospital in British Columbia.
Health experts in Canada were unable to determine the source of that individual’s infection.
Routine flu surveillance in southwest Louisiana identified the case, which was subsequently forwarded to the CDC for verification. The CDC’s conclusion that there is still little risk to the public is unaffected by the case.
However, the hospitalization serves as a reminder that bird flu has a proven track record of causing serious illness and fatalities in other nations during the last 20 years, CDC Dr. Demetre Daskalakis told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Daskalakis, his organization is conducting further sequencing to search for any concerning alterations in the virus that would indicate it is changing to more effectively infect people or cause more serious illness.
Although further study was required to fully comprehend the consequences, scientists were worried that the British Columbia example showed some alterations that might portend danger. For more information on how the individual contracted the virus and their symptoms, Daskalakis directed reporters to Louisiana officials who are looking into the issue.
Similar to the Louisiana illness, exposure to diseased animals has been implicated in the majority of cases. High viral concentrations in dairy cattle’s milk are thought to be the source of farm worker illnesses. The virus can potentially infect people who handle contaminated birds.
Nonetheless, a number of cases that cannot be linked to sick farm animals have surfaced in the United States, particularly in Missouri and California. “Infections without a clear source of exposure do occur, neither these cases nor the cases with known animal or animal products exposure have resulted in human to human transmission,” Daskalakis stated.
