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Shasta County public health officer says H5N1 risk to residents remains low; recommends precautions for livestock and raw milk
Summary
Dr. James Moody updated the Board of Supervisors on H5N1 (bird flu) on Jan. 14, saying the immediate human risk in Shasta County is low but noting widespread infection in U.S. dairy herds and dozens of confirmed human cases nationally. He urged basic precautions, monitoring and that residents avoid raw milk; pasteurized milk is safe.
Dr. James Moody, the county’s public health officer, told the Shasta County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 that the current risk of H5N1 (avian influenza) to the general public in Shasta County is low but that the county is monitoring the situation closely after widespread infections in U.S. poultry and, more recently, dairy herds.
Dr. Moody said that, nationally, recent H5N1 waves have included infections in wild birds and poultry and that beginning in 2024 the virus began infecting some mammal populations, including dairy cattle. He reported national and state numbers on the record: roughly 66 confirmed human cases in the United States with 37 in California (36 of those linked to dairy-herd exposure), and he said California had identified roughly 700 affected herds out of about 1,100 herds statewide. He stressed that most human infections reported so far involved mild symptoms such as conjunctivitis and upper respiratory signs and that there is no documented human-to-human sustained transmission.
Dr. Moody reviewed public-health guidance: people should avoid direct contact with sick or dead birds, wear personal protective equipment when handling potentially infected livestock or carcasses, avoid consuming unpasteurized (raw) milk, and consult medical providers and public-health authorities if they develop symptoms after animal exposure. He repeated the national recommendation that pasteurized milk remains safe because pasteurization inactivates the virus; he also noted antiviral therapy (oseltamivir/Tamiflu) can reduce symptom severity in some cases.
The county continues limited wastewater monitoring, and Dr. Moody said Shasta County has detected some H5N1 genetic material in wastewater samples in Redding after rain events, but he emphasized that detection does not equal active local human transmission. He told the board the county does not host commercial-scale poultry or dairy operations, which partly explains the lower local risk, though wildlife and backyard flocks could introduce localized exposure.
Dr. Moody said state agencies—California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)—have mobilized and that Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in California on Dec. 18 to accelerate response for affected herds and logistical support. He said the declaration is intended to speed contracting and deployment for animal-health responses rather than to signal a direct human-health emergency.
Board members asked how the public would be notified if the risk changes; Dr. Moody said the county would use social media, local news outlets and existing community relationships and offered to return with updates. Several public speakers thanked Dr. Moody for the briefing; others urged caution about state proclamations and asked for transparency.
No board action was required or taken on the update; Dr. Moody’s presentation was informational and the board directed staff to return with updates as conditions evolve.
