California Declared Emergency Over Bird Flu—How Serious Is the Situation?

California Declared Emergency Over Bird Flu—How Serious Is the Situation?
This colorized electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on March 26, 2024, shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). CDC/NIAID via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the United States.

That raises new questions about the virus, which has spread for years in wild birds, commercial poultry, and many mammal species.