Los Angeles, Dec 19 (NationPress) California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially proclaimed a state of emergency in light of the Avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreak, frequently referred to as bird flu, which has impacted 34 individuals within the state.

The governor's office reported that this decision was made on Wednesday after the virus was found in dairy cows on farms located in Southern California, indicating the necessity to enhance monitoring efforts and strengthen a coordinated statewide strategy to control and reduce the spread of the virus.

As of now, there has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission of bird flu in California, and almost all infected individuals had contact with infected cattle, according to a press release from the governor's office. The state has already implemented the most extensive testing and monitoring system across the country to address the outbreak, as noted by the Xinhua news agency.

By Wednesday, the H5N1 virus had spread to 16 states within dairy cattle, following its initial confirmation in Texas and Kansas in March 2024, as reported by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Since April, there have been 61 human cases of H5N1 bird flu reported nationwide, with the CDC confirming that a person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of the illness.

Nevertheless, no instances of person-to-person transmission have been documented in California, with the governor's office indicating that individuals exposed to the virus came into contact with infected cows. On December 13, California’s Department of Public Health reported that 33 cows have tested positive for the virus.

Additionally, California has supplied protective equipment to dairy farms and their employees, advising those who work with cows or handle raw milk to utilize this gear to lower the risk of contracting the virus, as stated on the Department of Public Health’s website.

The bird flu was first identified in the US within the wild bird population in South Carolina in January 2022, and later in California's wild bird population in July 2022.