6 confirmed cases of Bird flu in the state, public health and dairies aim to protect employees

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The California Department of Public Health (CDHP) has confirmed six cases of the bird flu virus in the state.

As of Friday, there are five other possible cases in the Central Valley.

The CDHP says the risk to the general public is low. Individuals who work with infected animals are at higher risk.

The Tulare County Public Health Department has been working for months to ensure dairy farms have enough personal protective equipment to keep their employees safe.

"They are absolutely the backbone of Tulare County. They are some of the hardest-working people you will find. As public health, it's our job to try to keep them safe as best we can," says Sean Roberts with Tulare County Public Health.

PPE distribution efforts across 160 Tulare County dairies started in the Spring.

Since then, they have handed out over $1 million worth of equipment.

"During the pandemic, I remember what it was like when there was not a lot of PPE available because of some supply chain issues. So that's why we decided we're going to get in front of this," Sean continues, "We're going to protect our dairy workers. We're going to protect our creamery workers. We're going to protect our public the best way we can."

One San Joaquin Valley Dairy Farmer says they sanitize the farm's floors and equipment, including the tires of trucks hauling cattle in and out.

They have also taken extra precautions to ensure the cows are hydrated with electrolytes and have routine vet visits.

They ensure store-bought products are safe to consume.

"The products we are producing for human consumption are 100% safe. Everything is pasteurized, whether it goes into cheese, milk or butter. The milk is pasteurized and will kill any bacteria that is in the milk," says the farmer.

They say their number one priority is ensuring their employees are safe.

People who contract the virus are said to have mild flu-like symptoms.

Such as fever, coughing, sore throat and congestion.

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