California became the first state in the country on Wednesday to declare a statewide emergency over the H5N1 bird flu. 

With federal data showing the Golden State is home to over half of the reported human cases of bird flu across the U.S., Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued a proclamation “to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak.”

Recommended Stories

First human bird flu case in Oregon: What to know

Raw milk: What to know about pasteurization and bird flu

Bird flu spilling over to humans ‘enormous concern,’ WHO says