California has declared a state of emergency over the spread of H5N1 bird f which has spread through dairy cows in the state and is causing sporadic illnesses in people across the United States.

Also known as Type A H5N1, avian influenza was detected for the first time in US dairy cattle earlier this year and since then has been confirmed in at least 866 herds in 16 states. It has sickened more than 60 people across eight states, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recently, one person was hospitalized in Louisiana with the country’s first known severe illness caused by the virus, according to health officials.

California’s governor said he declared a state of emergency to better position state staff and supplies to respond to the outbreak. The state, looking for bird flu in large milk tanks during processing, has found the virus in at least 650 herds after extensive testing, representing about three-quarters of all affected US dairy herds.

Recently in Southern California dairy farms, the virus was detected after being found in the Central Valley. “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement.

According to the CDC, despite its widespread reach, the virus still poses low risk to the general public. Till now, there have been no reports of any person-to-person transmission and no signs that the virus has changed to spread more easily among humans.

However, experts believe that it is too soon to tell what trajectory the outbreak could take. “The entirely unsatisfactory answer is going to be: I don’t think we know yet,” Dr. Richard Webby, an influenza expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, was quoted by AP.

However, there are also concerns about the virus flu constantly mutating and small genetic changes could turn around the entire outlook.

In Louisiana, the patient who was confirmed to be the first serious case of bird flu is older than 65 years, had underlying medical problems and is currently in a critical condition. Even though not many details have been released, officials said the person developed severe respiratory symptoms.

The CDC added that the infection in the person had spread through backyard birds.

Tests also confirmed that the strain that caused the person's illness is one found in wild birds but not in cattle.

Previous infections in the US have been almost all in farmworkers with direct exposure to infected dairy cattle or poultry. In two cases, an adult in Missouri and a child in California, health officials have not determined how they caught it.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.