December 19, 2024
With 32 confirmed cases of human avian influenza A (H5N1) identified in California, including one case in a child with no known exposure to animals, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging health care providers to consider the possibility of avian influenza A virus infection in patients with:
- Signs and symptoms consistent with acute respiratory tract infection and/or conjunctivitis; AND
- A history of exposure in the last 10 days to animals suspected or confirmed to have avian influenza A, or who have had exposure to raw milk.*
*If exposure was consumption of raw dairy products, and only gastrointestinal symptoms are present, interim recommendations are to test as described.
Providers should immediately report any suspected human avian influenza A infections to their local health departments, who can help determine if testing is warranted.
Antiviral treatment is recommended as soon as possible for patients with suspected or confirmed influenza A infection. Antiviral treatment should not be delayed while waiting for laboratory test results.
Health care providers are also urged to follow standard, contact, and airborne precautions when caring for patients suspected of having avian influenza A infection.
For more details, see the CDPH guidance.
California State of Emergency Declaration
Governor Gavin Newsom also on Wednesday proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to the bird flu outbreak.
This action comes as cases were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California, signaling the need to further expand monitoring and build on the coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. The virus has spread among dairy cattle in 16 states, following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.
To date, no person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California and nearly all infected individuals had exposure to infected cattle.
For More Information:
Return