On Dec. 5, 2024, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported that following an investigation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they have confirmed H5N1 Bird Flu in 11 new dairies in Central California.

Since California’s first detection of H5N1 Bird Flu in dairies, there have been a total of 504 affected dairies and several dairies are expected to have their quarantines released in the coming weeks as their farms have fully recovered. All quarantine released dairies will be placed on a surveillance list for weekly testing through creameries to maintain continued monitoring of the virus in California.

While the risk to the general public remains low, additional human cases of bird flu are expected to be identified and confirmed in California. CDPH recommends that personal protective equipment (PPE), such as eye protection (face shields or safety goggles), respirators (N95 masks), and gloves be worn by anyone working with animals or materials that are infected or potentially infected with the bird flu virus. Wearing PPE helps prevent infection.