Residents are advised to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and are warned against consuming raw milk or raw milk products that could harbor the virus.

Since April 2024, there have been 53 reported human infections of bird flu in the U.S., with California accounting for the highest number, including 27 confirmed cases.

Public health experts express concern that the ongoing bird flu outbreak could lead to human-to-human transmission, urging for increased resources to investigate the situation.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has reported a suspected avian flu infection in a child from Alameda County, who exhibited mild upper respiratory symptoms without known contact with infected animals.

California public health officials are closely monitoring both animal and human infections due to the potential for bird flu viruses to mutate and spread among people.

All family members and daycare contacts of the infected child have tested negative for the virus, and the child's test specimens are being sent to the CDC for confirmation.

Dr. Tomas Aragon, the CDPH Director, reassured the public that the child is not believed to be infectious and emphasized that there has been no documented human-to-human transmission of bird flu for over 15 years.

Wastewater monitoring in California has detected the H5 virus subtype in 22 of 28 sites, indicating a widespread presence of the virus, although there are no monitoring sites in Alameda County.

Epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo highlighted that the presence of the virus in wastewater complicates public health efforts and raises concerns about potential pandemics.

Concerns about bird flu have escalated as the virus has been spreading in poultry since 2022 and has recently appeared in dairy cows and pigs.

Despite the increase in human infections, the CDC states that the risk to the general public remains low, with the most recent case in Oregon linked to a poultry outbreak.

Local health officials are contacting potentially exposed caregivers and families to monitor for symptoms and provide preventive treatment and testing, as the child attended daycare while symptomatic.