California Declares an Emergency Over Bird Flu in Cattle NYT | Top Stories Apoorva Mandavilli 19 December 2024 at 06:52 Officials have discovered the virus in 645 dairy herds, more than in any other state so far. © David Swanson/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesWhile California was not among the first states to detect the bird flu virus in dairy cattle, the state’s agriculture department has found the virus in 645 dairies.