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The pullback in funding is a devastating hit to local health departments, many of whom are dealing with large and novel outbreaks ranging from COVID-19 to bird flu and measles.

It also said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health would lose $45 million that it intended to use in part to prevent the spread of measles and bird flu.

California has been ground zero for the H5N1 bird flu since last March.

In the wake of soaring egg prices due to an ongoing bird flu outbreak and rising livestock costs due to extreme environmental conditions, I’ve been getting increasingly thrifty with how — and what — I decide to spend my money on.

In late February, for example, forecasters analyzing the spread of H5N1 bird flu said people who come “in contact with potentially infected animals or contaminated surfaces or fluids” faced a moderate to high risk of contracting the disease.