US: California Declared A State Of Emergency Over Bird Flu

With an increase in cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in humans in the state, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.

The country’s first severe case of the virus of the virus was reported in Lousiana. The case was identified as a 65-year-old.

Bird flu was detected in dairy farms in the US in 2022 and it has spread to hundreds of herds of cattle in 16 US states and caused infections in some dairy farm workers. All of them have been mild cases so far.

The case of the first severe illness from the H5N1 strain of the virus was reported in Louisiana. According to Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 65-year-old has been hospitalized and is in critical condition. The patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.

Bird flu is a virus that spreads among birds but also can affect humans and other animals. So far, there have been no cases of bird flu passing from one human to another.

The symptoms of the virus in humans are Redness in the eyes, fever, Cough and sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue, or shortness of breath.