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California Press Releases Department of Health - State, County and Town. 2025

Commonground

Commonground

Senior Moderator
California
Updated March 6, 2025

Key Messages
  • Healthcare providers should consider avian influenza A in persons with acute respiratory symptoms and/or conjunctivitis and recent exposure to animals or humans suspected or confirmed to have avian influenza A OR recent consumption of raw dairy products. Of note, all cases among California dairy workers have had conjunctivitis.
  • ​​Providers should immediately report any suspected human avian influenza A infections to their  local health departments.
  • Testing of respiratory and conjunctival specimens for avian influenza A is available at some public health laboratories and commercial laboratories.
  • Antiviral treatment is recommended for patients suspected or confirmed to have avian influenza A infection and antiviral prophylaxis is recommended for their close (e.g., household) contacts.
  • Healthcare providers should follow standard, contact, and airborne precautions​  when caring for patients suspected of having avian influenza A infection.
​ ​Situational Update

H​​uman Cases

For up-to-date information about confirmed cases in California, visit CDPH's Bird Flu webpage. For national information, visit CDC H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation.

The risk to the gene​​ral public remains low. However, people with job-related or recreational close and prolonged exposures to infected birds, cows, or other animals are at higher risk of infection.   ​


Animal Cases

Recently, the first raw dairy farm in California was infected leading to recall of their unpasteurized raw milk products. ​

For California specific livestock updates visit CDFA H5N1 Bird Flu Virus in Livestock and for poultry updates visit CDFA - Avian Influenza.

For national detections in livestock, visit USDA HPAI Confirmed Cases in Livestock. For national detections in poultry, visit USDA Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks.
​
Continued: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/BirdFluHP.aspx
​
 
Agriculture/Weights & Measures calls on poultry and dairy farms to know the signs of bird flu
San Bernardino County Public Health
​March 27, 2025

California has experienced a significant outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as the bird flu. The virus has spread rapidly, affecting many dairy herds, and has also been detected in poultry farms, leading to a state of emergency declaration and a ban on poultry and dairy cattle exhibitions.


San Bernardino County Public Health

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is working with San Bernardino County Public Health and Agriculture/Weights & Measures to ensure resources such as guidance handouts, FAQs, news releases, and biosecurity measures are shared with poultry farms, dairies, backyard flock owners, and workers across the county.

To help inform county residents, these resources are available on San Bernardino County’s Agriculture/Weights & Measures and Public Health websites.​

In the last 30 days, following an investigation by CDFA and rapid disease detection by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the presence of H5N1 bird flu in San Bernardino County dairy farms.

Since California’s first detection of H5N1 bird flu in dairies in August 2024, there have been a total of 755 infected dairies with 422 of those affected, fully recovered and released from quarantine. All quarantine released dairies will be placed on a surveillance list for bi-monthly testing to maintain continued monitoring of the virus in California.
​
On Dec. 18, Gov. Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1).

To view CDFA’s resources regarding H5N1 bird flu, please visit their website. For local questions and concerns, please email the department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures at awm@awm.sbcounty.gov or visit the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health’s website at dph.sbcounty.gov/birdflu.
​
https://main.sbcounty.gov/2025/03/2...nd-dairy-farms-to-know-the-signs-of-bird-flu/
 
California Department of Public Health

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​Health Update ​​ ​​​​​​ ​​

TO: Healthcare Providers
Updated Guidance on Recommended Specimens for Human Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Testing
4/2/2025​

​​​​​​​ ​​​Key Messages
  • ​This document provides updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on recommended specimens for human avian influenza A(H5N1) testing.  
  • In the prior instructions, persons with conjunctivitis who had conjunctival swab(s) collected, were also required to have respiratory specimens collected even if they had no other symptoms. It is no longer necessary to collect respiratory specimens from persons whose only symptom is conjunctivitis.
  • This document supersedes the guidance on recommended specimens to collect for human avian influenza A(H5N1) testing in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) December 6, 2024 Evaluation and Testing for Human Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Infection​.​
​
​Background

On March 20, 2025, CDC published updated instructions for use for the CDC Human Influenza Virus Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel (CDC Flu rRT​-PCR Dx Panel) Influenza A/H5 Subtyping Kit (VER 4).

In the prior instructions for use, persons with conjunctivitis who had conjunctival swab(s) collected, were also required to have respiratory specimens collected even if they had no other symptoms. It is no longer necessary to collect respiratory specimens from persons whose only symptom is conjunctivitis.​


Specimens for Human Influenza A(H5N1)

If the CDC H5 subtyping assay* is used, conjunctival swabs alone may be tested in persons who have conjunctivitis and no other symptoms and a strong epidemiological reason to suspect H5N1 infection.

Persons with conjunctivitis and respiratory and/or non-specific symptoms (e.g., fever, headache), should continue to have conjunctival and respiratory specimens collected.

Persons without conjunctivitis but who have respiratory and/or non-specific symptoms (e.g., fever, headache), should continue to have respiratory specimens collected.

Respiratory specimens recommended by CDPH for H5 subtype testing:​
  • ​Separate oropharyngeal and anterior nares swabs are preferred (combining both swabs into a single transport media tube is also acceptable).​
  • Nasopharyngeal swabs are acceptable, but to date have had a lower yield for positive test results in cases than oropharyngeal or anterior nares swabs. ​
​*Only public health laboratories​ in California are using the CDC H5 subtyping assay. Commercial and academic laboratories are using their own laboratory-developed H5 subtyping assays.​

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/CAHAN/Specimens-for-H5N1-Testing-Update.aspx​
 
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