Governor Newsom declares state of emergency in California due to bird flu

The emergency follows an outbreak of the virus among dairy cows in Southern California farms, according to the news release on the governor's website.

After initially being reported in Texas and Kansas in March, bird flu has been confirmed in cattle across 16 U.S. states, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported.

"This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," Governor Newsom said in a statement. 

The health agency maintains that "the current public health risk is low," but said it is "watching the situation carefully."