### Bird Flu Cases Confirmed in California Dairy Workers, Health Officials Announce

Health officials have reported that two dairy workers in California's Central Valley have been infected with bird flu. These cases, verified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bring the total number of human infections in the ongoing outbreak to 16 for this year.

The infected workers had direct contact with cattle in separate dairy farms, indicating that the infections likely occurred through animal interaction rather than human transmission. Over 50 dairy herds in the Central Valley have been affected by the virus since August, according to California health authorities.

This incident marks the first positive test results for bird flu in humans in California, contributing to a growing concern that began with the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak confirmed in March. Nationwide, the virus has now affected more than 250 dairy herds across 14 states.

The Avian influenza, initially prevalent among wild and domestic birds, has now notably spread to dairy cattle, a development observed over the last few years. Prior to this year’s outbreak, only one human case was recorded in the U.S.—a poultry worker in Colorado who contracted the virus last year.

Most of the newly reported human cases this year have involved individuals who had contact with infected cattle or poultry, primarily in states like Colorado, Michigan, and Texas. A unique case emerged in Missouri, where a person without known animal contact contracted the flu, leaving the infection source unidentified.