Here’s what you should know about bird flu in California after Newsom declared a state of emergency

Updated: December 18, 2024, 6:06 p.m. PST

State of emergency due to the spread of bird flu. Bird flu appeared in dairy cows and has now spread to 1,616 states. AND SO FAR, NO PERSONAL SPREAD OF THE FLU HAS BEEN DETECTED HERE IN CALIFORNIA. Almost all people who tested positive for bird flu had come into contact with infected cattle. The governor’s office says it has already established the largest testing and surveillance system to respond to the outbreak. The emergency declaration is intended to speed up the state’s response. Now the governor says in a statement: “This proclamation is a targeted measure to ensure that government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak.” Even if the risk to the public is low remains, we will continue to take all necessary measures to prevent the spread of this virus. Even now, the risk of most people contracting bird flu is low, and we have not seen a single person here in California. THAT’S CORRECT. DOCTOR HAKEEM ADENIYI, FROM THE SACRAMENTO NATIVE AMERICAN HEALTH CENTER, JOINS US NOW. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. So, doctor, who is most at risk of contracting this virus? That’s a great question. Generally, it is anyone who comes into contact with infected cattle or poultry. THOSE WHO WORK IN AGRICULTURE ARE GENERALLY THOSE WE SEE IN CALIFORNIA. WE’VE SEEN IT WITH DAIRY FARMERS IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND NOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. And what can farmworkers do to reduce the risk of contracting the virus? Generally, transmission occurs through body secretions, be it saliva, mucus, phlegm or things of that nature. SO DO NOT COME INTO CONTACT OR AVOID CONTACT, USE PROPER PPE, WEAR GLOVES OR MAKE SURE THIS HAPPENS. SAFETY GLASSES TO ENSURE THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN AND KEEPING AWAY FROM UNPASTEURIZED MILK Will help reduce the risk. So there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission as you mentioned. DOCTOR, ARE YOU THINKING THIS WILL CHANGE? Hopefully not. BUT IT IS A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING PROCESS. We tend to observe things changing little by little over time. So it’s possible that it could happen in the future. BUT CONGRATULATIONS WE DIDN’T SEE THAT AT THIS TIME. THERE ARE AROUND 60 CASES ACROSS THE STATE AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, HALF OF THEM IN CALIFORNIA. Most of these, as mentioned, have come from contact with dairy products, and we have seen it in poultry, but we have not seen any cases that have been transmitted from person to person. And hopefully we don’t see it. Well, we were talking about raw milk recently, and there’s kind of a raw milk trend that’s going viral on social media right now. TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF DRINKING AND THE PASTEURIZATION PROCESS THAT ELIMINATES THE VIRUS. AS YOU MENTIONED. SO YES. So RAW MILK does not eliminate secretions, body fluids or things of that nature where we find the virus itself. BY PASTEURIZING IT KILLS EVERYTHING, ALL CONTAMINATIONS AND VIRUSES. So that tends to be a lot less risky. We therefore definitely recommend avoiding unpasteurized milk during this time. We know that there are certain dairy farms that are more affected than others and are therefore isolated. BUT WE KNOW IT MAY BE AT OTHER LOCATIONS AT THIS TIME. DOCTOR HAKEEM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR INSIGHTS. As always, we appreciate it. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. And today, the CDC confirmed the first serious case of bird flu in a person in the United States. One patient was hospitalized in Louisiana. AN INVESTIGATION IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING INTO THE CAUSE OF THE INFECTION IN LOUISIANA. However, the patient was found to have been exposed to S

Here’s what you should know about bird flu in California after Newsom declared a state of emergency

Updated: December 18, 2024, 6:06 p.m. PST

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday over bird flu in California, even though the virus poses little risk to the public. KCRA 3 spoke with Dr. Hakeem Adeniyi of the Sacramento Native American Health Center. He shared what Californians should know about the virus and its spread in the Golden State. Who is most at risk of contracting bird flu? Adeniyi said anyone who comes into contact with infected cattle or poultry is most at risk of contracting the virus. “Those who generally work in agriculture are the ones we usually see,” Adeniyi said. “In California, we’ve seen it in dairy farmers in the Central Valley and now in Southern California.” There has been no human-to-human transmission of bird flu in California this year. How can farmworkers reduce their risk of contracting the virus? Adeniyi said the virus tends to travel through body secretions such as saliva, phlegm or phlegm. He said appropriate personal protective equipment could help reduce the risk. Wearing gloves and safety glasses is recommended. He also recommends staying away from unpasteurized milk. Is there a risk of transmission from person to person? “It’s a constantly evolving process,” Adeniyi said. “It’s possible it could happen in the future, but fortunately we haven’t seen that at this point.” Why could raw milk pose a risk for bird flu? “Raw milk does not eliminate secretions, body fluids, etc. “In nature we find the virus itself,” Adeniyi said. “Pasteurization tends to kill all of these contaminants.” Adeniyi noted that some dairy farms more affected by bird flu are being isolated, but there is still a risk of the virus spreading to other farms. For more information, check out the top stories from California here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday over bird flu in California, even though the virus poses little risk to the public.

KCRA 3 spoke with Dr. Hakeem Adeniyi of the Sacramento Native American Health Center. He shared what Californians should know about the virus and its spread in the Golden State.

Who is most at risk of getting bird flu?

Adeniyi said anyone who comes into contact with infected cattle or poultry is most at risk of contracting the virus.

“Those who generally work in agriculture are the ones we usually see,” Adeniyi said. “In California, we’ve seen it with dairy farmers in the Central Valley and now in Southern California.”

There has been no human-to-human transmission of bird flu in California this year.

How can farmworkers reduce their risk of contracting the virus?

Adeniyi said the virus tends to travel through body secretions such as saliva, phlegm or phlegm.

He said appropriate personal protective equipment can help reduce the risk. Wearing gloves and safety glasses is recommended.

He also recommends avoiding unpasteurized milk.

Is there a risk of transmission from person to person?

“It’s a constantly evolving process,” Adeniyi said. “It’s possible it could happen in the future, but fortunately we haven’t seen that happen at this point.”

Why might raw milk pose a bird flu risk?

“Raw milk does not eliminate secretions, body fluids or anything like that, and that is where we find the virus itself,” Adeniyi said. “Pasteurization tends to kill all of these contaminants.”

Adeniyi noted that some dairy farms that were more affected by bird flu were being isolated, but there was still a risk of the virus spreading to other farms.

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