BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) -- Officials across California are on high alert as a flu virus, initially affecting birds, has now spread to dairy cows.

California, the largest agricultural state in the U.S., faces potential severe cases, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirming an infection in a child last month who experienced mild symptoms.

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California leads the nation in milk production. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, warned of the significant threat posed by the flu to livestock and farmers.

"Our dairy workers, our dairy farms, our poultry farms are undergoing a big threat -- probably the biggest threat they've had in our generation," said Dr. Chin-Hong.

The CDC recently confirmed the first severe case linked to the virus in Louisiana.

Dr. Chin-Hong explained that severe cases are more concerning due to a mutation called D1, which causes increased sickness. However, he noted that the virus has not yet adapted to spread easily among humans, keeping the public risk low.

To mitigate risks, Dr. Chin-Hong advised getting a flu shot to prevent gene exchange mutations, as well as handling dead or sick animals with care, especially backyard chickens, avoiding raw milk and eggs, and staying informed about the virus.

"We want to make sure it doesn't become a pandemic," said Dr. Chin-Hong. "It's not like early COVID because we have vaccines that the government has, but we still need to update the vaccines if there's a mutation."