State Senator Melissa Hurtado has introduced the Wastewater Surveillance Act to combat the H5N1 bird flu outbreak affecting California's Central Valley, primarily impacting dairy workers and herds. The bill mandates at least one wastewater monitoring site per county, emphasizing underserved areas. California has seen 77% of U.S. dairy herd infections and a significant portion of human cases linked to the outbreak. Hurtado's personal experience with respiratory illnesses in her family, amid the pandemic and bird flu concerns, highlights the need for improved surveillance measures in vulnerable communities.
We have a bird flu outbreak. It's running amok among dairy cattle and herds which are largely in the Central Valley, and right now we don't have any wastewater surveillance in these areas.
Her bill, the Wastewater Surveillance Act, aims to establish one wastewater monitoring site in every county, prioritizing underserved and high-risk areas.
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