Why has California declared a state of emergency over bird flu?
Cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu are on the rise in humans in the US, with the first severe case reported in Louisiana this week.
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By Tips & Tricks News Guide
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday due to mounting concerns over bird flu cases. On the same day, Louisiana reported the country’s first severe virus case.
Here’s what we know about the virus and why it’s raising serious alarm.
Why has California declared a bird flu emergency?
The emergency declaration on Wednesday followed the detection of additional bird flu cases among dairy cows in southern California.
Governor Newsom stated that the declaration would unlock funds to “streamline and expedite” measures to combat the outbreak.
Since bird flu was first identified on U.S. dairy farms in 2022, it has spread to hundreds of cattle herds across 16 states, with some dairy farm workers also contracting mild infections.
However, on Wednesday, Louisiana reported the first severe human illness caused by the H5N1 strain of the virus.
The 65-year-old, who reportedly has underlying health conditions, has been hospitalized and is in critical condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The CDC confirms the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. While the source of the infection is still under investigation, it has been determined that the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks,” the agency stated.
The H5N1 strain was first detected in the U.S. in March of this year. Since then, 61 people across seven states have contracted the virus, with most experiencing only mild symptoms. California has reported 34 of these cases.
Although human cases of bird flu have historically been rare, an increasing number of infections have been reported in recent years, particularly in North America.
Before 2022, no human cases of bird flu had been recorded in the U.S. That year saw only one case, and there were none reported in 2023. However, on November 9, Canada confirmed its first human case of H5N1 in a teenager from British Columbia.
Attendees view cows that are shown by exhibitors at the state fair in West Allis, Wisconsin, US, on August 9, 2024. Dairy farmers said they were taking precautions by testing for avian flu while exhibiting cattle during the fair [Jim Vondruska/Reuters]
What is bird flu?
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a virus that primarily spreads among birds but can also infect humans and various animals, including dairy cows, seals, cats, dogs, foxes, skunks, tigers, leopards, and farmed mink, according to the CDC. To date, there have been no reported cases of bird flu spreading from one human to another.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, has caused the deaths of millions of birds globally, with various strains appearing in different regions.
The virus poses a significant risk to humans. Since it was first identified nearly three decades ago in China, approximately 860 people across 23 countries, including China, Egypt, Vietnam, and Türkiye, have been infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of those, 463 people have died, resulting in a staggering 52% mortality rate.
Global concern about bird flu escalated in 1996 when the H5N1 strain was detected in domestic waterfowl in southern China. This was also the first time the virus infected humans; in Hong Kong, 18 people contracted the virus, six of whom died.
From 2003 to 2005, the H5N1 strain re-emerged in China and spread to poultry across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Between 2014 and 2016, other strains such as H5N6 and H5N8 emerged in birds worldwide, including in the United States. In March 2020, the H7N3 strain was detected in U.S. turkey farms.
From 2020 to 2022, these variants continued to spread among birds and cattle globally. Between 2021 and 2023, the H5N1 virus expanded its reach in birds across the U.S. and Canada, alongside the detection of additional strains in the United States.
How is H5N1 different from other strains of bird flu?
H5N1 is regarded as the most “pathogenic” bird flu strain, meaning it is the deadliest, with a human fatality rate of approximately 60%.
Other strains, like H7N9, can also infect humans but are generally less severe. H7N9 has a fatality rate of about 20%, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This strain has been identified in China, Malaysia, Canada, and Hong Kong. Cases in Malaysia and Canada involved individuals who had traveled from China.
Research published by the NIH in 2006 suggests that H5N1 is particularly lethal because it triggers “massive inflammation” and severely impacts the immune system.
These factors can result in severe complications, including pneumonia or multi-organ failure, which are common causes of death in H5N1 cases.
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