Although California dairy farmers had heard about the H5N1 bird flu before it hit, none was prepared for the devastation it would cause in some herds.

Amid a statewide spread of the flu in cattle, and a handful of infections in people who work in cattle farms, Humboldt County is currently free and clear of bird flu.

So far on 2024, there have been 27 human cases of bird flu in the U.S. and hundreds of infected cows. In California's South Valley, a disturbing site of infected and diseased cows on the side of the road sparked biosecurity concerns for local activists.