California Gov. Gavin Newson declared a state of emergency in response to the growing number of cases of bird flu in the state, a move he insisted was a preventative measure. “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. The decision comes after a woman in Louisiana was hospitalized with bird flu, the first recorded severe infection. Since the outbreak began in 2022, 61 human cases of bird flu have been recorded, according to the CDC. Over half of those cases, 34, have been in California. No reported cases have been passed from human to human contact. Many of the cases are linked to workers in the dairy and poultry industries, health officials have said. After identifying the first infected herd of cows in August, the virus has been found in 645 dairies in California. Since the outbreak began, more than 100 million birds have been culled in poultry farms to stem the outbreak.
