What you should know about the state of emergency in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as bird flu spread to more than a quarter of the state’s dairies last month.

The announcement gives California more access to resources to fight the virus, which was discovered in California cows in August and has struck the nation’s largest dairy-producing state.

The risk of human infection remains low — 34 California residents have been infected since March — and their symptoms have mostly been mild, with the exception of one Louisiana resident with a suspected bird flu case who was hospitalized with “severe” symptoms. California’s cases account for about half of the known human infections nationwide.

Still, Newsom’s statement has raised concerns, particularly in other states with the largest milk production, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Here’s what you should know.

What is bird flu?

Avian influenza is a virus that typically spreads through wild birds, particularly waterfowl. Wild birds generally show no signs of the virus, even if they are infected. However, domestic birds can become infected with the virus through contact with wild birds or their feces.

Avian flu is an aggressive form of the disease that is highly contagious, causes severe respiratory and digestive problems in domestic birds and can wipe out entire flocks. Normally, domestic flocks with bird flu are euthanized.

Why does it spread to cattle? Is it just as dangerous for them?

According to the CDC, mammals can become infected with bird flu if they are exposed to an environment contaminated with the virus – including birds or bird droppings. This may also include eating infected poultry, inhaling virus particles in the air near infected birds, or drinking water contaminated with virus particles.

What’s special about this outbreak is that herds across the entire United States are becoming ill, not just individual animals. It is unclear what caused the disease to spread further.

Symptoms in dairy cows include reduced feed intake, lower milk production, and occasionally diarrhea or very dry manure. Most cows recover within two to three weeks.

What does the state of emergency mean in California?

By declaring a state of emergency, California can allocate more resources to crisis response, just as a state would respond to a natural disaster.

Newsom called the move “a targeted measure to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak” as it spreads rapidly among dairy farms.

The CDC said Wednesday that the overall public health risk of bird flu remains low.

Are people at risk?

There have been 61 reported human cases of bird flu nationwide. Of those, 37 were related to cattle exposure and 34 of those were directly related to the outbreak in California.

All but one of the reported cases were infected by people with ties to a dairy or poultry farm. The exception was a child in the San Francisco Bay Area with mild cold and flu symptoms.

The CDC says that people who work closely with animals, such as: B. Dairy cattle workers are at higher risk of infection and should wear personal protective equipment.

Can I still drink milk safely?

Health officials say pasteurized milk remains safe because it is heat treated to kill the virus.

Still, there are concerns about drinking raw milk. Some raw milk producers have recalled their products after bird flu was found in retail samples.

No cases of bird flu have been detected in people who drank raw milk, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stepped up its testing of raw milk in hopes of better understanding the extent of the outbreak.

Raw milk can be purchased in Pennsylvania, and sellers usually test that milk for bacteria — but not always for bird flu.

How about eggs?

The FDA says eggs are safe to consume.

However, the recent surge in cases has impacted their price and availability, especially during the holiday season.

The current bird flu outbreak, which began in February 2022, has resulted in the killing of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. Every time the virus is found, every bird on a farm is killed to curb the spread of the disease.

More than 6 million birds were slaughtered in November because of bird flu. They represented a relatively small portion of the total U.S. egg-laying flock of 377 million chickens. Still, the flock declined about 3% last year, contributing to a 4% decline in egg production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The recent wave of bird flu is causing a shortage of caged eggs as California is among the hardest hit states. California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon all require eggs sold in their states to be cage-free.

What does this all mean for Pennsylvania’s dairy industry?

There have been cases of avian influenza in birds in Pennsylvania in the past two years; As of March 2023, there were more birds in the state than anywhere else in the country. That outbreak has subsided in recent months, experts say, but agricultural authorities are still on high alert.

Are there cases of bird flu in cattle in Pennsylvania?

To date, there have been no cases of avian influenza in cattle in Pennsylvania. The next confirmed cases were in Ohio and North Carolina.

What is Pennsylvania doing to prevent bird flu in cattle?

Pennsylvania required cattle from affected states to be tested for bird flu before entering the state before issuing a federal directive this week requiring cattle to test negative for bird flu before moving between states.

A Pennsylvania quarantine order issued earlier this year also says animals from infected herds cannot move into the state until their farm is determined to be free of the disease.

The state Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension, the university’s science education division, have veterinarians and experts on farms around the clock to report suspected outbreaks.

Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced that it would require precautionary mass testing of milk for bird flu at no cost to Pennsylvania farmers. Other states implementing mandatory mass testing include California, Colorado, Michigan and Oklahoma.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.