Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement Wednesday, describing the situation as a major threat to the state’s dairy industry, which produces 20% of the country’s milk supply.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has long been circulating in wild birds, but recent mutations have allowed it to jump to cattle, starting in Texas earlier this year. Since then, the virus has spread rapidly through dairy farms in Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and now California. Officials have reported that half of the infected herds in California were identified in the last 30 days alone.

The outbreak has also led to the recall of raw milk products from two companies in California after samples tested positive for H5N1. Although pasteurized milk is still safe to consume, the news has shaken consumer confidence in dairy products and raised questions about how the virus has been allowed to spread so extensively.

Human Infections Raise Alarms

While the virus poses little immediate danger to the general population, experts warn that each new infection increases the risk of mutations that could lead to a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 61 human infections so far, with another seven classified as “probable.”

In California, two children have tested positive for bird flu:

• One child in Alameda County likely contracted the virus from drinking raw milk, though the CDC could not confirm H5N1 in that case.

• Another infection’s source remains unclear, raising concerns about undetected transmission routes.

Additionally, Louisiana reported the first severe U.S. case earlier this week, with a patient hospitalized after contracting the virus from a backyard poultry flock.

The outbreak highlights the alarming ability of H5N1 to infect a wide range of species:

• Originally circulating in wild birds, the virus jumped to cattle in the Texas Panhandle in late 2023.

• Infected cows have since spread the virus back into wild birds, poultry, domestic cats, and even raccoons, showing how quickly it can adapt to new hosts.

“This outbreak in so many species is paving the way for the virus to evolve,” said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases. “Every new infection gives the virus a chance to become better at infecting humans.”

The USDA recently announced that it will begin testing the nation’s milk supply for H5N1. Until now, testing had been voluntary, with only 1 in 1,000 dairy farms opting to participate. Experts, including those from the World Health Organization, have criticized the slow response to the outbreak, warning that more proactive measures are needed.

This outbreak also raises broader questions about the safety and sustainability of industrial animal agriculture. Crowded and stressful farm conditions can accelerate the spread of viruses, increasing the likelihood of zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans.

Experts warn that the crisis is far from over. California’s dairy farms are scrambling to contain the virus, but the broader implications are clear: factory farming practices are creating conditions ripe for pandemics.

For now, the focus remains on stopping the current outbreak and preventing further spread. But for many, this is yet another wake-up call to rethink our reliance on animal agriculture and explore plant-based solutions that could mitigate these risks in the future.