Aug. 31 (UPI) — Three dairies in central California have tested positive for avian flu, the first time the virus has been discovered in the state after spreading across the United States since March.
On Friday, the California Department of Food and Agriculture confirmed the cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1. The virus is fatal to poultry and makes cows mildly sick with symptoms of lethargy, loss of appetite and dehydration.
No human cases of HPAI have been confirmed in California related to this incident.
The risk to humans is considered low, according to California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The total reported human cases are 14 since 2022, with four after exposure to dairy cows, according to the CDC. Nine of the H5 human cases have been confirmed as H5N1.
The primary concern is for dairy workers in close contact with infected dairy cows.
Herds in California began showing clinical signs consistent with HPAI on Sunday.