"Protecting Livestock: California's Response to the 2024 Bird Flu Outbreak"
California dairy farmers are on high alert as avian influenza, a strain that has devastated bird populations and shown the ability to jump to mammals, has infected herds in several states, including Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina. Officials have imposed restrictions on cattle imports from affected states, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture urges minimizing cattle movement. The virus has killed hundreds of millions of farmed poultry and infected over 48 species of mammals, including humans, and has now infected U.S. dairy cows, raising concerns about potential human exposure and virus adaptation. The unexpected cattle outbreaks have prompted calls for a more integrated approach to monitoring and managing the disease, as well as heightened surveillance and concern for potential recombination in mammalian hosts.