California governor declares emergency over bird flu

WASHINGTON

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Wednesday that an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus within the state's dairy cattle constitutes an emergency as the contagion continued to spread.

Bird flu has been detected in cattle in 16 states after it was first identified in stocks in Texas and Kansas in March this year. While no person-to-person transmission has been detected, Newsom's office said "nearly all" individuals who were infected with the virus were exposed via infected cattle.

Newsom said the risk to the public "remains low" for now but vowed to take "all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus."

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," he said in a statement.

"Building on California’s testing and monitoring system -- the largest in the nation -- we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information," he added.

California's over 1,100 dairy farms account for roughly one-fifth of the nation's production. Over half -- 645 -- have had confirmed cases of bird flu within their cattle, including 311 facilities within the past 30 days.

Just 56 dairies have been cleared and released from quarantine, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.