Sacramento, Dec 26: California's battle against avian influenza A (H5N1) intensified amid spreading infections across dairy farms and a growing number of human infection, including two newly confirmed cases in Stanislaus and Los Angeles counties. The virus, commonly known as bird flu, has infected 659 of California's 984 dairy operations since August, with one quarter of these cases emerging in the past month alone, according to California authorities. The rapid spread through the state's dairy industry prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency last week to protect agricultural workers and public health, Xinhua news agency reported.
"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 outbreak's human impact has grown increasingly severe, with California reporting at least 36 confirmed cases more than half of the nation's total of 65, according to the latest report by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday, though the actual count is likely higher as recent local confirmations may not yet be reflected in federal data. Two new cases were confirmed Monday in California's Los Angeles County and Stanislaus County.
Both individuals were exposed to livestock infected with bird flu at a worksite, and both had mild symptoms and were treated with antiviral medications, according to the two counties' health departments. Pu.