On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) declared a state of emergency in response to an outbreak of avian influenza, also known as “bird flu.”
As Breitbart reports, the disease, also referred to as the H5N1 virus, has primarily been found in dairy cattle. It can be transferred to humans through such methods as drinking raw milk, although it is not yet known if it is contagious between humans.
In his statement, Newsom said that he had “proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.”
“This emergency proclamation will provide state and local agencies with additional flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California’s evolving response,” the statement continued. Newsom also touted the fact that “California has already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the nation to respond to the outbreak.”
The disease has been found across 718 different dairy herds in at least 16 states, after first being detected in Texas and Kansas in March of this year. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ordered mandatory tests on dairy cattle in six different states: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
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