The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Friday it would award $306 million in funds to help bird flu monitoring, as the virus spreads in dairy herds and farm workers across the country.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday it will award $306 million in additional funding to monitor H5N1 Asian Flu and for regional, state and local preparedness programs.

Those most at risk of contracting bird flu are people in close contact with infected animals, such as dairy or poultry workers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is ramping up its bird flu response, by awarding $306 million in funding to boost disease surveillance, testing, and monitoring efforts.

Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency as the virus continues to infect dairy herds across the country — including more than 600 in California.

The recent bird flu outbreak in the United States has not yet resulted in any positive human tests in Maine, although public health officials are closely monitoring the virus. The virus has swept through populations of poultry and dairy cows and was detected in backyard poultry in York,