US reports first human case of bird flu; California declares emergency

BATON ROUGE: Louisiana: A Louisiana resident was hospitalized in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock, making him the first severe human case of bird flu in the U.S. this week.

California, the most populous state, declared an emergency over the H5N1 virus as it spread more widely in dairy herds and after it has infected dozens of farm workers this year.

Federal and st