The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 infection in Louisiana, making it the first instance of a severe illness linked to the virus in the United States.

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S.

The rising incidence of bird flu in the Central Valley is raising serious concerns for public health and food safety. The detection of the virus in dairy cattle has sparked alarm, as it increases the risk of transmission to other animals and potentially to humans.