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By Jordan King
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What's New
Newsweek has created a map showing which states have recorded the most human bird flu cases, after the first human case of severe bird flu was confirmed in Louisiana.
California, which has declared a state of emergency in response to the current outbreak, has recorded the most cases (34), followed by Washington (11) and then Colorado 10).
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Why It Matters
More than 60 bird flu infections have been reported this year, more than half the cases occurring in California. In two instances—an adult in Missouri and a child in California—health officials have yet to determine how the individuals were infected.
Previous cases in the U.S. have been mild, the vast majority occurring among farmworkers who had direct exposure to sick poultry or dairy cows.
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the country. The patient had been exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
What To Know
Some 33 out of California's 34 cases were traced back to dairy herds, while the remaining one was exposed through an unknown source.
In Washington, all 11 cases came from poultry farms and culling operations, likewise with nine of the cases recorded in Colorado, one traced back to dairy herds.
Louisiana has recorded one case, from any animal that could be from backyard flocks, wild birds or other mammals. Michigan has recorded two from dairy herds, Missouri one from an unknown source, Oregon one from poultry farms and culling operations and Texas one from dairy herds.
What People Are Saying
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, said in a statement: "This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need.
"While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus."
The CDC said: "People with work or recreational exposures to infected animals are at higher risk of infection and should follow CDC's recommended precautions when around animals that are infected or potentially infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus."
Professor Ed Hutchinson, a virus expert at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research previously told Newsweek: "Although it is difficult for any virus to move from one species to another, influenza A viruses are particularly good at it—most often causing one-off 'spillover' infections but occasionally adapting to spread effectively in a new host species."
He continued: "In the late 1990s, an H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) began spreading in birds, and began causing repeated spillover infections of other animals, including humans."
What Happens Next
Health officials maintain that bird flu remains primarily an animal health concern with minimal risk to the general public. There have been no documented cases of the virus spreading from person to person.
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