California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to an outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, that has infected 34 people in the state CBS reported.

The statement issued Wednesday followed the discovery of cases involving dairy cows on farms in Southern California. According to the governor’s office, this development underscores the need to increase surveillance efforts and strengthen the statewide response to contain and contain the spread of the virus.

A press release from the governor’s office said no human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been detected in California. Almost all of those infected had direct contact with infected cattle. The state has already implemented the country’s largest testing and surveillance system to combat the outbreak, according to Xinhua news agency IANS reported.

Also read| “Knock on our door”: Experts warn of the threat of a bird flu pandemic

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H5N1 virus has now spread among dairy cows in 16 states after it was first discovered in Texas and Kansas in March 2024. Nationwide, 61 human cases of H5N1 have been reported since April, including a severe case recently confirmed in Louisiana.

However, no cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported in California. Most of the people infected in the state were exposed to infected cows. The California Department of Public Health reported on December 13 that 33 cows had tested positive for the virus.

To reduce risks, California has distributed protective equipment to dairy farms and advised workers who handle cows or raw milk to use it, the health department’s website says.

Avian influenza was first detected in wild birds in the United States in South Carolina in January 2022 and was later detected in California’s wild bird population in July 2022.