Is there bird flu in SLO County? What to know as California declares state of emergency
Though California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to rising cases of bird flu, San Luis Obispo County appears to be clear of the disease for now.
California was the first to declare a statewide emergency, though Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a targeted “disaster” alert in July after officials there detected an outbreak at a Weld County egg plant.
There have been 61 human H5N1 cases of avian flu nationwide since April, according to CDC data. Thirty-four cases are in California, mostly among agriculture workers exposed to infected cattle.
More than 4 million chickens and turkeys have died since the illness began wreaking havoc on dairies and farms in 2022.
Bird flu detected in SLO County wastewater tests
According to San Luis Obispo County Health Agency public information specialist Tara Kennon, the county has not identified any cases of bird flu in people or land animals in San Luis Obispo County to date.
“Bird flu has been detected in wild birds in SLO County multiple times over the past few years,” Kennon said in an email to The Tribune on Wednesday afternoon. “In addition, bird flu has been detected in wastewater at nearly all 60+ wastewater surveillance sites across California, including all six SLO County sites that participate in wastewater monitoring.”
Kennon said the instances of bird flu detected in San Luis Obispo County wastewater likely reflect cases among animals, or milk products making their way into the wastewater stream.
While the risk to people is low, people who have close contact with birds and dairy cattle and dairy products through agricultural work may be at increased risk and should take precautions, Kennon said.
Kennon also advised against consuming raw milk or other raw dairy products, which are more likely to carry the disease.
Community members should avoid making direct contact with sick or dead birds, livestock and their feces unless wearing recommended personal protective equipment, Kennon said.
Agricultural workers in dairy, poultry and slaughterhouse facilities can request personal protective equipment from the Public Health Department, and can send requests to publichealth.contact@co.slo.ca.us.
What is bird flu? What are the symptoms?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, avian influenza — also known as bird flu — is a highly contagious and often deadly disease primarily found in poultry.
It is “caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) and A (H7) viruses,” the food agency said on its website.
While the virus can spread from wild birds to domestic poultry and other animals, it can also infect humans in rare cases.
“It is important to note that ‘highly pathogenic’ refers to severe impact in birds, not necessarily in humans,” the agency said.
According to the CDC, avian flu symptoms in humans can include:
- Eye redness
- Mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms
- Pneumonia requiring hospitalization
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Seizures
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 4:14 PM.
