California becomes epicenter of bird flu crisis as more human cases reported

Another five suspected cases of bird flu were reported today in California, where six cases have already been confirmed, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state, which is the country’s largest dairy supplier, has become the epicenter of bird flu in cows and has concerned public health experts since the beginning of the outbreak for this reason.

The people with confirmed infections worked with dairy cattle infected with the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, which suggests that the virus has not yet developed the ability to effectively transfer between humans. However, the people with confirmed infections worked at nine different farms across the state, indicating the virus is widespread among herds of cattle.

Public health experts have been critical of the national and state approaches to contain the virus and have recommended increasing screening and surveillance tools to keep it under control. Last week, footage circulated of heaps of cow carcasses left exposed outside of farms in California.

"There are so many cattle passing away from avian influenza that the rendering trucks are backed up, which is why [the cattle] had been left there for a period of time,” Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies told Newsweek. “We are desperately overwhelmed at this point."