Even if bird flu continues to affect birds and native eggs, health experts say, say it Eggs remain suitable for eating.

Eggs stocked in shops exist through tests, classification and inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Agriculture MinistryThe agencies that share responsibility for the security of eggs before they meet their plate.

Bundeships of egg farms with several million birds occur 4 times a 12 months.

California's agricultural department Regulates the safety of the eggs produced here, shipped or sold – to be certain that you undergo an industrial washing and disinfectant process.

All eggs which are sold in California by farms with 3,000 or more chickens Additional measures and labeling stems Implemented a decade ago to combat bacterial contamination by Salmonella Enteritidis.

Meanwhile the California Health Safety Code Calcections – as much as the degree and second – how long eggs must be treated and ready in restaurants and which health advice within the menus must be recorded with a purpose to inform the guests in regards to the risks in the event that they select to pick these standards.

And while massive Egg calls of household brands similar to the Kirkland signature from Costco show that even several layers of protocols for food safety usually are not infallible, health experts say that it is extremely unlikely that they get a foul egg, especially a bird flu .

Who do you contact:

US Food and Drug Administration:

Visit the FDAs Security reporting portal To report a criticism a few product or to call 1-888 safefood (723-3366).

Meat and poultry hotline of the US Department of Agriculture:

Submit a criticism online Or call 1-888-Mphotline (674-6854) and see the USThe Problems with food Page for further instructions.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Animal Health and Food Safety: Meat, Poultry and Egg Security branch:

Email cdfa.mpes_feedback@cdfa.ca.gov or by phone (916) 900-5004 with questions, concerns and feedback.

To submit a criticism or report not registered eggs, send an email to cdfa.esqm_inquiries@cdfa.ca.gov or call (916) 900-5062.

California Ministry of Public Health:

Add complaints about commercially processed foods to the CDPH food and drug branch by filling out one Online form Or call the automated 24-hour hotline below 1 (800) 495-3232.

Departments of the Environmental Health district

Set complaints about foods that you just in a retail device (e.g. The Ministry of the Environment of your district.

Originally published: February 23, 2025 at 6:05 a.m. PST

In the past few months, Americans have looked for eggs faced with empty shelves of their grocery stores. The escalating threat from bird flu has forced farmers to accomplish that Kill thousands and thousands of chickens To prevent its spread.

Almost 70 years ago, Maurice HillemanAn expert on influenza, also concerned to search out eggs. However, Hilleman didn’t need eggs for his breakfast, but to make the vaccines that were crucial to stop a possible influenza pandemic.

Hilleman was grasped and killed a 12 months after the notorious Influenza pandemic in 1918 20 to 100 million people. When Hilleman began to maintain egg supply in 1957, scientists had a way more sophisticated understanding of influenza than before. This knowledge was feared that a pandemic, much like the 1918 1918, was barely out and milled thousands and thousands.

As a Medicine historianI used to be at all times fascinated by the important thing moments that stop an epidemic. The study of those moments gives an insight into the way in which and why an outbreak can grow to be a fatal pandemic, while one other doesn’t accomplish that.

Anticipate a pandemic

Influenza is one of the vital unpredictable to diseases. Every 12 months the virus mutates easily in a process called an antigen drift. The greater the mutation, the less likely your immune system will recognize against the disease and defend itself against the disease.

From time to time the virus changes in a process that is known as Antigen shift. In this case, people grow to be even less immune, and the probability of an illness spreads dramatically. Hilleman knew that it was only a matter of time until the influenza virus shifted and caused a pandemic that resembled the 1918. The assumption was exactly when this shift would occur.

In April 1957, Hilleman opened his newspaper and saw one Article on patients with glassy eyes Overwhelming clinics in Hong Kong.

The article was only eight sentences long. But Hilleman only needed the 4 words of the heading to be alerted: “Hong Kong fights against influenza.”

Within a month Hilleman learned about Hong Kong's influenza epidemic in influenza epidemic and had requested, received and tested a sample of the virus of colleagues in Asia. By May, Hilleman and his colleagues knew that the Americans lacked immunity against this new edition of the virus. A possible pandemic threatened.

Get to know influenza

In the Nineteen Twenties and Thirties, the American government poured thousands and thousands of dollars into influenza research. Until 1944, scientists not only understood that influenza was attributable to a more formal virus-etwas that they Had didn't know in 1918 – But additionally they developed a vaccine.

Antigen drift made this vaccine Ineffective within the flu period of 1946. In contrast to the polio or smallpox vaccine, which could once be administered for lifelong protection, the influenza vaccine needed to be constantly updated to be able to be effective against a consistently changing virus.

However, the Americans weren’t used to the concept of ​​registering for an annual flu vaccination. In fact, they weren’t used to registering for a flu period. After officers had seen the devastating effects of the 1918 pandemic on the soldiers and seafarers of the nation Protection of the military From influenza. During and after the Second World War, the federal government used the influenza vaccine for the military, not most of the people.

Stop a pandemic

In the spring of 1957, the federal government asked vaccine manufacturers to speed up the production of A New influenza vaccine For all Americans.

Traditionally, farmers have often packed roosters and unwanted chickens to maintain their costs low. Hilleman asked the farmers to accomplish that Do not grab your roostersBecause vaccine manufacturers would wish enormous supply of eggs to supply the vaccine before the virus has fully reached the USA.

But firstly of June, the virus already circulated within the United States that the brand new virus was not the murderer who was his predecessor of 1918.

In the hope of making an “watchful but not alarmed public”, General Leroy Bury Bury and other experts in influenza and the necessity to vaccination in a widespread Television program. The government also created short announcements of the general public service And worked with local health organizations to advertise vaccination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19go1onoefi

However, the vaccination rates were only “moderate” – not since the Americans considered vaccination as problematic, but because they Influenza didn’t see as a threat. Had almost 40 years Wanted memories From the 1918 pandemic, while the event of antibiotics had reduced the specter of fatal pneumonia, which may accompany influenza.

Learn from a blissful creation

When death and devastation defined the 1918 pandemic, happiness defined the 1957 pandemic.

It was lucky that Hilleman saw an article about rising influenza rates in Asia in the favored press. It was lucky that Hilleman made an early call to extend the production of fertilized eggs. And it was lucky that the 1957 virus didn’t kill the relative of 1918.

In the belief that they’d a ball in 1957, the general public health experts increased their monitoring of the influenza virus within the Nineteen Sixties. They also worked to enhance influenza vaccines and promote annual vaccination. Several aspects akin to the event of the polio vaccine and a growing detection of the roll vaccines that were played within the control of diseases Immunization -oriented bureaucracy within the federal government within the Nineteen Sixties.

In the past 60 years, the influenza virus has continued to drift and altered. 1968A shift caused a pandemic again. 1976 and 2009Consideration that the virus had shifted led to fears that a brand new pandemic was. But the Americans were lucky again.

Today, only just a few Americans remember the 1957 pandemic – of those that were expelled from real damage. However, this event left a everlasting legacy in the way in which during which experts in public health take into consideration future outbreaks and plan them. Assuming that the United States uses the medical and public health available to it, the Americans at the moment are more prepared for influenza pandemic than our ancestors in 1918 and 1957.

But the unpredictability of the virus still makes it unimaginable to know the way it can mutate and when a pandemic will arise.

The case is just not related to an H5N1 incident, through which, in line with the County Executive office, a foci in San Mateo accommodates a poultry herd within the back yard.

The cat was recorded by half Moon Bay family. When it showed symptoms, they brought it to the human society within the peninsula, the veterinarians of which examined the cat and applied for tests.

The laboratory results confirmed that the cat had H5N1 and was put to sleep attributable to its condition, said officials.

According to the centers, the danger of spreading the virus to humans is incredibly low for the control and prevention of diseases, and the incident didn’t result in people in any cases.

Cats might be exposed to H5N1 by eating infected birds, contaminating with the virus in environments and using pasteurized milk from infected cows or raw costers.

The case shows how necessary it’s to forestall the spread of the virus proactively, said officials. Residents whose pets show signs of diseases should contact their vet.

H5N1 infected pets can experience a lack of appetite, lethargy and fever in addition to neurological signs reminiscent of circle, tremors, seizures or blindness, said civil servants.

The disease can quickly result in depression, discharges from the eyes or nose and other respiratory diseases reminiscent of sneezing or coughing, said officials. Death is feasible in severe cases.

Originally published: February 6, 2025 at 10:59 p.m. PST

in addition to marine mammals and domestic cats have also died from the virus.

What are Michigan researchers learning in regards to the outbreak?

In the case of H5N1 in cows, scientists and animal health experts here in Michigan And across the country are working to know a known disease in a brand new species.

Transmission of the H5N1 avian influenza virus to dairy cows was first confirmed in Texas in March 2024 and has not occurred since Spread to fifteen additional US states, most recently California.

The virus affects milk production and poses significant risks to other bird species, particularly domestic poultry and a few mammals. The CDC has also confirmed this mild cases in humans and a deadly in Louisiana in January 2025.

Diagnostician at Michigan State University and people of the USDA National Network of Animal Health Laboratories provide rapid diagnostics to discover infected flocks and monitor the virus in wild birds and mammals to manage the spread.

Based on sequencing of circulating viruses, we found that a particular virus strain or H5N1 genotype, B3.13, is circulating in cows and poultry. Subtle changes within the virus's genetic makeup over time point to a single one Spillover event. This means the virus was likely transmitted from wild birds to a cow in Texas after which spread from cow to cow. We also know that there’s a separate H5N1 genotype, D1.1, that’s currently circulating in wild birds and domestic poultry.

Researchers at our College of Veterinary Medicine are working with federal and state officials and farmers to seek out out How long do cows produce infectious milk?. The goal is to know how cows turn into infected inside and between herds so we are able to higher contain the spread.

Why is it called bird flu when other animals also get it?

Influenza viruses affect many animals including people, Pigs, dogs And Horses.

There are 4 forms of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D, broadly defined by the species they’ll infect. Avian influenza viruses are considered influenza A viruses. Interestingly, it’s influenza D viruses that primarily infect cattle. But the H5N1 virus currently circulating in dairy cows is similar influenza A virus seen in the continuing outbreak in birds.

This is especially concerning because this has only happened with influenza A viruses associated with human pandemics.

However, avian influenza viruses flow into in wild birds normally don’t cause significant illness. While many avian influenza viruses can infect poultry, the virus is classed as either highly pathogenic or low pathogenic based on its behavior in these hosts. It is significant to notice that this classification doesn’t necessarily indicate how easily it spreads or how likely the virus is to leap to other species.

The strain currently in circulation is classified as highly pathogenic bird fluor HPAI, based on the high mortality it causes in domestic poultry. One of the various unusual features of the present outbreak is the high mortality amongst wild birds; As a result, we now have seen many species of young carnivores and scavengers infected with the virus.

Infection in other species often requires contact with a considerable amount of virus or a weakened or underdeveloped immune system. These are typically “Dead-end innkeepers.” They turn into infected, but play no role within the spread of the virus because either the animal dies or it’s infected but not infectious.

The current outbreak was HPAI H5N1 running since 2021. The outbreak is notable for its duration, wide geographical spread and weird impacts even on non-poultry species. It has caused significant illness and death in wild birds like geese and geese, as well Mammals exposed to infected bird carcasses like cats and skunks.

However, if the USDA unexpectedly confirmed that H5N1 was the explanation for significant disease in dairy cows The virus was first detected in US dairy cattle in early 2024.

What does the virus do to cattle?

Most cows infected with H5N1 recuperate on their very own without treatment. Symptoms include fever and lethargy. In addition, lactating cows experience reduced appetite and a big decrease in milk production, as is the case with the virus concentrates within the mammary glands and milk.

There are three reasons to be concerned in regards to the ongoing H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows:

First, the decline in milk production and the contagiousness of the virus pose challenges for farmers in controlling the infection and lead to economic losses. In addition to production losses, there are additional labor and provide costs to administer the outbreak within the herd, including separation and supportive care of sick cows. Workers must also wear personal protective equipment to forestall the virus from spreading to healthy animals and protect themselves from possible infection.

Second, dairy cows produce large amounts of the virus of their milk, which is very contagious. While pasteurization kills the virus, raw milk stays a serious infection risk. Significant variety of wild mammals and domestic cats on dairy farms died from the virus after consuming raw milk. It also poses a risk to dairy employees.

The virus has also spread from dairy farms to poultry farms. leading to high bird mortality. are experts explore the likelihood that clothing, shoes, trucks, equipment and other items which have been contaminated with raw milk containing the virus can result in accidental and fatal exposure of poultry.

Third, prolonged circulation in cattle increases the danger of the virus adapting to mammals. including people.

To monitor this risk, all H5N1-positive samples are sent to the USDA for genetic sequencing to discover mutations that would increase the virus's ability to contaminate mammals and to offer necessary details about how the virus spreads inside and spread between populations.

How can we manage H5N1 in the longer term?

Biosecurity for poultry and dairy farms is more necessary than ever. Biosecurity measures include limiting the number of tourists to farms and facilities; disinfection tools, shoes and equipment; avoiding contact between infected and uninfected species; and isolating sick animals.

These measures play a very important role in each containing the virus and keeping it away from other animals, properties and folks.

SAN FRANCISCO – Public health officials say a San Francisco child has tested suspected positive for H5N1 bird flu.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health said the kid, who experienced fever and symptoms of conjunctivitis, has now fully recovered and is at low risk to the general public.

“I would like to reassure everyone in our city that the risk to the general public is low and there is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted between people,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health.

The department's public health laboratory conducted the initial testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct confirmatory testing.

Prior to the kid's positive test, the California Department of Public Health had reported 37 human cases of avian influenza as of December 23.

In all but one in all these cases, health authorities determined exposure to cattle. None of the cases required hospitalization.

Despite the limited impact on humans, the state declared a state of emergency last month to reply to outbreaks on its dairy farms.

Prior to the avian flu diagnosis, the kid initially tested positive for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

Possible symptoms of bird flu included eye redness, cough, fatigue, fever and headache.

An initial investigation has not clarified how the kid became infected with the virus and remains to be ongoing.

Health officials have warned residents to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and to avoid consuming raw milk or unpasteurized dairy products.

Nikola Jokić's dramatic jump as a shooting guard this season just isn’t directly related to the Denver Nuggets' playoff semifinal loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last spring. But if you go 2-for-14 from 3-point range like Jokić did in Games 6 and seven, that may actually be seen as a turning point.

Jokić didn't shoot the ball well enough. He knew it, and secretly it was eating him up.

One day within the offseason, Jokić went to his player development coach, Nuggets assistant Ogi Stojaković, and said that just about every shot felt different to him. Did that result in Jokić shooting 23 percent from 3-point range on this playoff series against Minnesota? Maybe, perhaps not.

But Jokić is a perfectionist, a creature of routine. He felt like there was obviously something fallacious together with his shooting mechanics. And he desired to fix it.

“I think it helps you a lot if you can shoot the ball at a high level,” said Jokić. “It helps with construction. It gives you one more thing that the defense has to respect in your game. When you can shoot the ball, teams have to guard you differently, and that helps. It helps you and it helps the team.”

Ultimately, Jokić desired to develop into harder to protect so as to further improve his game, like all greats in NBA history have done. With Jokić now lower than two months away from his thirtieth birthday, longevity has develop into a key concern for him and people near him.

“When he came to me before the season, we talked about his shot and what we could do with it,” Stojaković said. “We decided to bring the ball closer to his body and eliminate negative movement. He tried it and was happy with it, and that helped a lot. From then on it was about general representatives. We want him to be fresher for the playoffs and our goal is longevity.”

Jokić has won three league MVP awards, led an NBA title run and established himself as the very best passing center in history. But someway, this season was arguably the very best version of Jokić we've ever seen. He averages 30.7 points, 13 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. And even with those numbers, the shooting numbers have metaphorically left the earth.

Jokić is shooting 49.2 percent from 3-point range this season. That can be a skyrocketing profession high – his previous high was 39.6 percent in 2017-18 and he shot just 36 percent from 3-point range last 12 months.

He's all the time been a great long-range shooter, especially for an enormous man. But this season, based on volume, he's arguably the very best shooter within the league. He and Stojaković did this with reps within the preseason. Instead of using the time between the Olympics and the season to rest, Jokić arrived in Denver a couple of month sooner than he normally would. And then the 2 of them went to the gym each day and worked out.

Jokić's shot used to begin lower, which meant he needed to put his legs more into the shot. The problem is that Jokić has a lot contact with opponents within the paint during a matchup that his legs can fail over the course of a game. At the top of an evening, a lot of those 3-point attempts fail and bounce off the front of the rim.

Jokić now starts his shooting motion higher, meaning he needs fewer legs and more arm to fireside the shot. The catch that was there before is now gone. It looks slightly like what all-time great Larry Bird shot.

It worked. Jokić has been a more willing 3-point shooter this season. His volume – 4.6 attempts per game – is definitely the best of his profession. If the numbers stay anywhere near what they currently are, this might represent certainly one of the best achievements of his profession.

“What we like is that he needs less energy to shoot the ball,” Stojaković said. “He shoots the ball closer to his body. After the Olympics we realized we needed to clean up his mechanics. He shoots better now. It’s a cleaner shot and more confidence.”

Jokić's shot has develop into a bridge to what he has done all season. Although he was a great shooter in recent seasons, opponents could at the very least hope that he didn't must guard your complete three levels of the court. And ultimately, going back to the Minnesota series, that's certainly one of the things that allowed the Timberwolves to be somewhat successful in containing him.

But this season there was no recourse against the opponents. He was as nearly unguarded as any player in NBA history, and since of that, the Nuggets were among the finest teams within the league offensively (fourth in offensive rating, 117.4).

“I think his performance this season depends on many factors,” said Stojaković. “He played for the national team and for him it was almost like playing an extra playoff series. Every possession and every game counted, so there was a good transfer for him. He started the season in great shape and has continued to do so.

“But we were constantly trying to keep adding things to his game. I think he's been the best player in the world for the last five to seven years. We want him to stay happy and healthy. At each stage of his career there were certain challenges. He is a better tactical player than ever before and now we want to extend his longevity.”

The negative is that the Nuggets rely an excessive amount of on Jokić. He's playing 36.9 minutes per game, which can be by far a profession high (he's logged 34.6 minutes per game in a season twice, including last 12 months). This could also mean that his defensive performance wasn't that good.

But one reason the Nuggets have expressed strong interest within the trade market is because they need to seek out someone to assist relieve Jokić's offensive pressure. Denver's goal is to be the last team standing, and that may all the time be the Nuggets' goal so long as Jokić is playing at this level.

He's perhaps playing at his highest level ever at once, and it's as much as Denver as a corporation to maximise his ability as a player. As for Jokić, he’ll proceed to fine-tune to enhance his level.

“His work ethic is through the roof,” Stojaković said. “That’s why he is who he is.”

As bird flu spreads beyond dairy herds within the Central Valley to farms in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday to strengthen and streamline the state's response to the virus.

“This proclamation is a targeted measure to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a Opinion.

The emergency declaration allows the governor to release state funds and other resources to assist state and native governments hire staff and award contracts to combat the contagion. If vital, it gives the governor broad authority to issue mandates intended to slow the spread of the virus and bypass certain state laws that would slow the response.

It could also help increase testing capability, which officials hope will help find cases that likely have gone undetected. There aren’t any reports of the virus arriving at dairies in rural areas of the Bay Area, although the state just isn’t releasing the names of affected farms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the present public health risk is low. So far this 12 months, 61 human cases of bird flu have been confirmed within the United States. The virus just isn’t known to spread amongst humans and is never transmitted through contact with infected animals. When infections have occurred in humans, they are frequently mild and manageable.

But on Wednesday, the CDC confirmed the primary known serious avian flu infection in a patient from southwest Louisiana. The hospitalized patient is over 65 years old and has other health complications, in line with the Louisiana Department of Health.

The Louisiana patient's virus is genetically different from the virus spreading amongst dairy cows. The strain that sickened the Louisiana resident is often known as genotype D1.1 and is found amongst wild birds and poultry staff. The strain circulating in dairy cows and infecting California farm staff is often known as the B3.13 genotype.

Recently D1.1 infected a teen in Vancouver, British Columbia, who had a severe case that required intensive care. The sequencing data suggests that the teenager's virus contained two possible mutations that would improve the virus's ability to contaminate human cells and one other mutation that would allow it to copy more easily in human cells only within the cells of its usual avian host. in line with the journal Nature. None of the infected teenager's three dozen close contacts became in poor health.

Bird flu doesn’t spread through food, except raw milk. A current Stanford study found that the virus stays infectious in refrigerated raw milk for as much as five days. It is killed by pasteurization.

After emerging in 2020, the virus caused large outbreaks in birds in Europe, Africa and Asia. It arrived within the U.S. in January 2022 and stormed through the nation's largest clusters of poultry farms within the East and Midwest, driving up egg prices.

Despite a rapid response – biosecurity measures at farm entrances, immediate killing of doubtless infected animals, quarantine of affected farms – the disease has continued to spread and infect dairy cattle.

The continued spread of the virus, now widespread amongst wild birds and affecting nearly half of California's dairy farms, is a worrisome development. The more it spreads, the greater the possibility it has of mutating.

California's local health officials welcomed the statement, saying the state must rebuild core workforce and public health infrastructure capability to quickly detect, reply to and contain public health threats.

“We appreciate Governor Newsom’s actions that provide flexibility and enable California to request more federal funding to support health officials’ ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of H5N1, also known as avian influenza, in livestock and people,” said Elsa Mendoza Jimenez, President Member of the County Health Executives Association of California and Director of Health Services for the County of Monterey Health Department.

In an additional step to escalate the response The US Department of Agriculture announced this on Tuesday that a second round of states has been added to its recent National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the number to 13. These states represent eight of the 15 largest milk producing states and account for half of the country's total production. Farmers and milk processors in these states could also be required to supply raw milk samples upon government request.

The The USDA confirmed five additional outbreaks in dairy herds on Tuesday4 from California and one from Texas. The outbreak affected 865 dairy herds in 16 states this 12 months. The overwhelming majority of those diagnoses are in California, while Nevada and Texas have each tested positive.

The USDA also reported additional poultry outbreaks in three states. Bird flu has also been confirmed in nearly 124 million poultry in 49 states.

Some counties, like Sonoma, had previously declared a state of emergency to mitigate the impact of the disaster, including providing support to businesses. In November 2023, bird flu raged through Sonoma County's historic poultry region, leading to the slaughter of greater than one million birds and causing heartache and economic disaster to small family farmers within the once famous “Egg Capital of the World.”

“While the risk to the public remains low,” Newsom said, “we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

Originally published: December 18, 2024 at 5:09 pm PST

A baby who visited Marin County during Thanksgiving week is being tested for possible infection with H5N1, the bird flu.

Marin Health Officer Dr. Lisa Santora said the kid tested positive for influenza type A at a hospital. Bird flu belongs to the kind A category. The child was visiting from out of state for the vacations.

“Additional local and state testing has not been able to confirm whether this is seasonal influenza or a subtype of avian influenza,” Santora said.

Staff submitted a sample from the patient to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The county expects to receive test results by the top of the week, Santora said Monday.

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H5N1, which generally infects poultry flocks and wild birds, has been transmitted to a minimum of 58 people within the United States this 12 months, based on the CDC. 32 cases have been reported in California.

A human case of H5N1 was reported in Alameda County last month. Authorities have no idea the patient's source of exposure, Marin County Health officials reported.

Symptoms of the virus in humans include eye redness, mild flu-like symptoms, fever, pneumonia, fatigue and difficulty respiration, based on the CDC.

Marin County public health officials reported that H5N1 has been detected in wild birds, poultry and wastewater in Marin. Last month, staff began investigating “presumptive” positive test results at a poultry farm.

H5N1 outbreaks led to the euthanasia of 1.2 million birds by business breeders in Sonoma County last 12 months, officials said

Santora said H5N1 spread from birds to cattle this 12 months.

“We don’t see the same level of severity in the cows themselves,” she said.

Cows might be quarantined and returned to take advantage of production after their infectious period ends, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered H5N1 testing for the country's milk supply this month.

“This will give farmers and farm workers greater confidence in the safety of their animals and the ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on the path to quickly controlling and stopping the spread of the virus across the country,” said Agriculture Minister Tom Vilsack in a press release.

Santora said her employees' fundamental concern is the dairy and poultry staff in Marin County.

“As with any virus transmission, improved hand hygiene is an important factor,” she said.

Santora added that dairy and poultry farmers are also urged to be vigilant for possible H5N1 illnesses.

“Early detection is key for farms to identify sick animals and quarantine them as quickly as possible to minimize harm to the animals,” she said.

Originally published: December 9, 2024 at 10:47 am PST