Bird flu has been found at four dairy farms in San Bernardino County, the county announced Thursday, March 6.
The risk of infection from H5N1, or bird flu, remains low, a county news release says. “No person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California.”
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“While the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low, the detection of this virus in animals across multiple farms serves as a reminder to practice caution when handling animals or animal products,” San Bernardino County Health Officer Sharon Wang said in the release.
Bird flu is spread from infected cows, birds and other animals to people in a variety of ways, health officials say. These include breathing in dust or droplets with the virus, touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after touching contaminated surfaces, or handling sick or dead animals and consuming raw unpasteurized milk or milk products.
In January, officials in Riverside County announced the latest variant of avian influenza surfaced at dairy and poultry farms in the county, prompting health officials to urge people to take extra precautions.
According to the Riverside County Department of Public Health, animals at 25 egg and dairy production facilities, including one backyard coop, tested positive at that time.
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Symptoms of the illness typically appear within two to eight days, health officials say, and include redness in eyes, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea and vomiting, headaches, fatigues and fever. Sometimes those exposed will also experience difficulty breathing, officials say.
Officials recommend taking extra precautions when working with farm animals, that includes washing hands frequently and wearing protective clothing when working with the animals.
City News Service contributed to this report.
