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 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.

On the same day that the first severe case of the avian virus in the U.S. was disclosed in Louisiana, halfway across the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency designed to expedite the state’s response to further outbreaks of H5N1, commonly known as bird flu.

A Louisiana patient is critically ill with severe respiratory symptoms from H5N1 bird flu, marking the 61st U.S. human case this year. California has declared a state of emergency. CBS News medical contributor Dr.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has been spreading through US dairy cattle herds since March, affecting at least 16 states.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has issued a statewide recall of raw milk produced and packaged by Valley Milk Simply Bottled after H5N1 bird flu virus was found in samples from a bulk tank at the company’s dairy farm.

The County of San Diego is warning the public to not eat or drink raw milk products or give them to their pets after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency due to a rise in H5N1, or bird flu,