Workers at California’s key bird flu testing lab are fed up
Good morning, it’s Monday, Dec. 2. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- California’s first line of defense against rising bird flu cases is stretched thin.
- President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter despite vowing he wouldn’t do so. The president says his son was the victim of unfair political attacks.
- The Mountain fire torched his nursery and avocados, but it didn’t kill his irises or spirit.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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High stakes, low staffing at state’s key bird flu testing lab
California’s first line of defense against rising bird flu cases is stretched thin.
Times reporter Suhauna Hussain chronicled ongoing workplace tensions at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, which current and former employees say is understaffed, causing overwork and burnout that’s led to mistakes.
The lab, headquartered at UC Davis, is integral to the state’s effort to track and prevent H5N1 influenza by testing samples from cattle herds and poultry farms.
“The problems come amid a rising tide of bird flu cases at poultry and dairy farms and an increasing threat to humans,” Suhauna wrote. “So far, about 30 people in the state ... are known to have been infected.”
‘I have no backup’
Suhauna spoke with lab workers Alyssa Laxamana and Victoria Ontiveros, who for a period this summer were the only workers left to test for the virus on a daily basis — at the state’s only lab with the authority to confirm bird flu cases.
“There’s this huge pressure on me and responsibility to show up to work every day because I have no backup,” Ontiveros told her.
The long hours and lack of backup have created an environment where human errors are more likely, leading to unreliable tests and creating more work for the lab’s skeleton crew.
“Although there is no evidence that the alleged workplace problems have contributed to an outbreak,” Suhauna explained, “processing tests quickly gives farmers a jump on quarantining or culling infected animals.”
The Times also reviewed roughly two years’ worth of emails and other communications, which showed a pattern of discontent over staffing, pay and other alleged workplace issues in the lab.
Workers’ concerns about unsustainable workloads received no replies from management. One message sent by employees read:
“We operate with the mindset that the next outbreak is always around the corner, and we need proper training opportunities and competitive salary to remain adequately staffed for that eventuality.”
UC Davis spokesperson Bill Kisliuk told The Times the facility has “maintained the supervision, staffing and resources necessary to provide timely and vital health and safety information to those asking us to perform tests throughout the current outbreak of avian flu.”
Bird flu cases on the rise
More than 6 million birds have been affected by outbreaks at turkey farms, chicken broiler farms, egg-laying facilities and other producers around California since September, according to USDA data.
California has the highest number of human cases to date with 29, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all but one of those cases, cattle have been verified as the exposure source. Almost all of those infected so far are dairy workers (with the exception of a child in Alameda County).
The bird flu virus was detected in Los Angeles County wastewater in late October, and just last week, the Davis lab confirmed the virus had been found in retail samples of raw milk from Raw Farm, a Fresno-based dairy, which health officials warn may have been sold in stores in L.A. County. It was the second recent recall for the farm; no reported illnesses have been associated with either recall.
CDC officials stated last month that “there has been no person-to-person spread identified associated with any of the H5N1 bird flu cases reported in the United States.”
You can read Suhauna’s full story here.
Today’s top stories
Politics
- President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter despite previously vowing he wouldn’t do so. The president says Hunter Biden was the victim of unfair political attacks.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to redefine the California-vs.-Trump narrative.
- How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went from outsider to Cabinet pick.
Nature and environment
- The Mountain fire torched his nursery and avocados, but it didn’t kill his irises or spirit.
- California biofuel project aims to cut wildfire risk. But at what cost?
- Elevated radiation has been detected at a former Bay Area landfill turned art park.
Public safety and crime
- A hit-and-run crash left one dead, six injured and a vehicle overturned near Chinatown.
- Three were arrested on suspicion of illegally manufacturing guns in Ventura County.
- A detective accused of giving a Nazi-like salute has resigned from the South Pasadena Police Department.
- A USC student was among three young adults killed in the crash of a Tesla Cybertruck in Piedmont.
- A Fresno County teacher has died after being bitten by a rabid bat in her classroom.
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Commentary and opinions
- Mark Z. Barabak: In Trump she trusts. Here’s one supporter’s hopes for a second term.
- Patt Morrison: A U.S. president has apologized for the “Indian school” policy. Here’s why the apology was needed.
- Times editorial board: Palm Springs brutally displaced hundreds. Those families are finally getting a measure of justice.
- Solutions: Vice President Kamala Harris promised that, if elected, she’d get 3 million new homes built. States might actually make it happen.
- Guest opinion: Trump promised to raise taxes, but Biden and Congress could tie his hands.
- Guest opinion: Downsizing, decluttering, Swedish death cleaning — here’s why we’re obsessed with clearing out our stuff.
This morning’s must reads
L.A. County left a baby in the care of her 11-year-brother. Now, she’s dead. Despite receiving multiple reports this spring about a family with an absent mother and gnawing hunger, DCFS never opened a case, The Times’ Rebecca Ellis reports.
Other must reads
- The “Met Gala of L.A.”: Here’s what attendees wore to Born X Raised’s 10th annual Sadie Hawkins dance.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].
For your downtime
Going out
- 🏟️ See how many of L.A.’s eight best 2024 architecture projects you can spot around town.
- 🍰 Here are the best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our food writers.
- 🎄 And here are 25 things to do in L.A. to feel like you’ve walked into a holiday movie.
Staying in
- 📺 “My So-Called Life” at 30: How a short-lived show became a ’90s pop culture touchstone.
- 🍗 Here’s a recipe for turkey pot pie to put those leftovers to use.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: Which famous Californian, living or dead, would you want to have dinner with and why?
From Julia Child to Zendaya, there’s no shortage of famous people from the Golden State.
Email us at [email protected], and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.
Today’s great photo is from David Rosen: a stunning view from Highway 46, midway between Cambria and Templeton.
David writes: “I’m not sure if a highway can be considered a landmark, but if so, Highway 46 is a quintessential example of the beauty of California’s Central Coast. This photo was taken after a rainy winter season, making the views spectacular.”
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Amy Hubbard, deputy editor, Fast Break
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