The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency this Wednesday night because the H5N1 avian flu virus has been spreading through the state’s livestock farms and several cases have been reported in workers, as well as a child. infected
The measure was issued the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a person from Louisiana was hospitalized seriously due to the disease, which represents the first severe case in the United States due to of this virus.
“Building on California’s testing and monitoring system, the largest in the country, we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agricultural industry, and ensuring Californians have access to accurate and up-to-date information,” Newsom said in a statement.
raw milk
At the end of November, California had to suspend the distribution of raw milk after the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in several samples for sale to the public. On the 22nd, the CDC reported a case of avian flu in a child in California, which marked the first infection of a minor recorded in the country.
The boy, whose age was not reported, recovered from the illness. All members of the child’s household reported having symptoms, but only the child tested positive and health authorities have not yet been able to establish how he became infected.
In the United States, at least 61 people have contracted the virus since April, the vast majority of them are livestock or poultry farm workers, according to CDC data.
More than half of the cases have been reported in California (34), and all but one contracted the virus through infected dairy products, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
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