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Over 650 California dairies under quarantine in effort to prevent bird flu spread

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Over 650 California dairies under quarantine in effort to prevent bird flu spread


TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — California state agencies say most dairies in the state are under quarantine because of the bird flu.

Now, they are working alongside each other with local dairy farmers to help reduce exposure to H5N1 between infected cows and people.

Over 650 of the 984 dairies in the state are under quarantine because of a growing bird flu outbreak.

Although the California Department of Public Health says the risk remains low for the general public the virus kills 90% to 100% of infected poultry and about 1% to 2% of cows.

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“So, while it does impact dairy herds, and it’s definitely devastating to the herd managers compared to how it acts in poultry it’s much less severe,” says Dr. Annette M. Jones, the state veterinarian and director of the animal health and food safety services with California Department of Food and Agriculture.

In Southern California more dairies have recently tested positive for the bird flu.

The health department and California Department of farm and Agriculture say they have also seen cases in cats.

“LA County has reported two domestic cats who have been confirmed to have consumed raw milk that was infected. We’re seeing a lot of neurological diseases and feline species with this particular virus,” mentions Dr. Erica Pan, the California State Epidemiologist and Deputy Director for the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health

Doctors also confirm some wastewater in the state has tested positive for the virus.

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“A lot of the pasteurized milk that can be PCR positive, you know, and again, we know pasteurized milk is safe, any virus fragments in there are not infectious, but they can still test positive in the wastewater,” explains Dr. Erica Pan.

“So, we think actually a lot of our wastewater detections are from residential or other commercial milk dumping or down in the sinks.”

So far, the state has handed out over four million pieces of PPE and says the state of emergency declaration allows them to expand their workforce and better monitor and respond to situations.

“We are really focusing on those who are at highest risk, which is people working with infected animals. Which is why we are focusing as well on education outreach and providing personal protective gear. The only other tip I would remind people to do is avoid touching wild sick animals, or dead animals,” says Dr. Pan.

For news updates, follow Kassandra Gutierrez on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Heavy rain, high tides cause flooding along stretch of Northern California

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Heavy rain, high tides cause flooding along stretch of Northern California


CORTE MADERA, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain and high tides believed to be the most severe in two decades caused flooding in parts of Northern California on Saturday, prompting road closures and rescues of residents trapped in their cars.

Roadways through a 15-mile (24-kilometer) stretch from the Sausalito area to San Rafael were flooded after a downpour coincided with record-breaking “ King Tides,” Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins said.

No injuries were reported but authorities were called to assist when cars got stuck in floodwater as high as three and four feet (1.1 and 1.2 meters), he said.

“There is a lot of water in the roadways,” Dobbins said, adding the tides were reportedly the highest in more than two decades. “Along with heavy rains, it just created the perfect storm for flooding on the streets.”

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Authorities in the communities near San Francisco asked residents to stay home wherever possible until waters recede. Some residents kayaked along what normally would be city streets. Others waded out in water that passed their knees.

A flood warning was in place for the San Francisco area until 2 p.m. Saturday and an advisory until 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in San Francisco.

King Tides occur when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment and the moon is in its closest position to the Earth, creating a stronger gravitational pull.





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UPDATE: Crash at California/Dakota

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UPDATE: Crash at California/Dakota


10:06 PM: Police are arriving at the scene of a two-vehicle crash reported at California/Dakota, with at least two people hurt.

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11:06 PM: Police have just reopened the street. We went to the scene after a report that one vehicle had ended up on the lawn of a church – First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – is on the southwest corner – but all we could see was one vehicle on the sidewalk. We’re following up with SFD regarding the people who were hurt.





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Southern California’s wild weather is not over. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph predicted

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Southern California’s wild weather is not over. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph predicted


Last week’s rain won’t be the end of Southern California’s wild weather as strong wind gusts are forecast through the area until Tuesday.

Gusts of up to 65 mph are expected in mountains and valleys throughout the region, with the National Weather Service warning that power outages were possible and that residents should keep an eye out for downed trees and power lines.

“Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” according to an alert issued by the National Weather Service.

The recent storms that drenched Southern California and soaked the soil could also “increase the likelihood of damage” caused by downed trees and power lines, the agency noted.

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The National Weather Service issued the advisory Sunday, warning that the western Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains and the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors could see strong winds starting Sunday evening, lasting until Monday afternoon.

Winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected in those areas until Sunday evening. Wind speeds are then predicted to pick up until Monday afternoon, with northeast winds of up to 40 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph.

A similar alert for strong gusts was issued by the weather service for the San Bernardino and Riverside County mountain and valley regions, as well as the Santa Ana Mountains, where strong winds could linger until Tuesday afternoon.

Northeast winds with speeds of up to 30 mph are expected to hit the area starting this evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph.

The high wind alerts come after the region was drenched for days, causing debris flows that washed through homes in Wrightwood. At least three people were killed in storm-related deaths, including a man in San Diego who was struck by a falling tree. In Boyle Heights, a rare tornado touched down on Christmas morning.

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More rain is expected this week, including the possibility of rain on New Year’s Day.



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