A New Jersey mayor is proposing the idea of a reverse congestion pricing toll after New York City implemented its controversial congestion pricing toll last week.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is also running for governor of the Garden State, floated the idea, according to Fox 5 New York.

“New Jersey has the same opportunity to push the buttons that New York is pushing against us,” Fulop told the outlet. “We could do that to them, but the goal is to get to a table to have a reasonable solution.”

EX-NY STATE SENATOR TAUNTS NEW YORKER UPSET WITH CONGESTION TOLL: ‘GET OVER IT’

The mayor said he believes reverse congestion pricing is the appropriate response to New York City’s new toll, which imposes fees on vehicles that enter busy parts of Manhattan as a way to encourage people to take the subway.

“There’s plenty of crossings between Staten Island, New York, Bergen County, Hudson County into New Jersey,” Fulop said. “There’s plenty of opportunities to have the same sort of impact fee that New York is putting on New Jersey.”

Fulop said he believes the money made from reverse congestion pricing should fund New Jersey’s mass transit system, which has suffered from delays and cancelations.

Congestion pricing plate readers are installed over Lexington Avenue on December 18, 2023, in New York City. (Getty Images)

“My view is that New Jersey Transit is a terrible product, and it should be invested in more, and until you get a reliable transportation system in New Jersey, you can’t responsibly think that people are going to take the trains,” Fulop said. “But this was an opportunity to get hundreds of millions of dollars into New Jersey Transit, and I think the governor just took a very easy political approach.”

There was initially the possibility for New Jersey to receive hundreds of millions of dollars from New York City’s new toll, but that fell through amid litigation.

NJ DEM SLAMS NEW YORK AS CONTROVERSIAL NYC CONGESTION PRICING TAKES EFFECT

Overhead equipment installed on New York City streets for the controversial congestion pricing plan. (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The details of Fulop’s proposal are not yet finalized, but he said gantries or toll sites could be stationed outside of tunnels and bridges in New Jersey.

He said that, similar to congestion pricing, there may be exemptions or crossing credits.

It is unclear if New Jersey residents would be required to pay the toll to reenter their home state like some New Yorkers do for congestion pricing.

This game will forever be known as the “Divisional Doink” for the Washington Commanders, as Zane Gonzalez’s field goal to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, 23-20, got a little help from the goal post. 

Getting the ball with 4:41 left to play in the fourth quarter after the Bucs tied it with a field goal at 20 apiece, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense were methodical with their drive, knowing that burning the right amount of clock could end in a game-winning field goal at the buzzer. 

There were a few crucial plays on the drive to keep it alive, including Daniels finding Dyami Brown, who scored the game’s first touchdown, for a 21-yard on 3rd-and-6 to continue owning the ball. Then, with 55 seconds left, Daniels was able to run for four yards on third-and-2 from Tampa Bay’s 19-yard line, icing the chance to end the game. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

When Gonzalez stepped into that kick from 37 yards out, it started immediately going to the right, and every Bucs fan at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay was hoping it wouldn’t split the uprights. But when it rang off the right goalpost, it went through for the three points and the victory to move on to the Divisional Round. 

This is the first playoff win for Washington since 2005, and it came from another gutsy performance by the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Daniels has solidified his role as the team’s franchise quarterback with a tremendous regular season, but he didn’t fold under playoff pressure on the road against a Bucs team that demolished the Philadelphia Eagles on their home turf just a season ago in the same round. 

EAGLES HANDLE PACKERS IN WILD CARD ROUND TO MOVE ON IN NFL PLAYOFFS

Daniels, though, was calm and collected, going 24-for-35 for 268 yards with two touchdown passes, including one to Terry McLaurin which came after quite easily the most pivotal moment of the game. 

The Bucs’ defense got a fantastic fourth-and-goal stop to turn the Commanders over on downs on their own three yard line. But just four plays later, Baker Mayfield botched what appeared to be a fake handoff to rookie receiver Jalen McMillan. The ball hit McMillan’s arm and went to the floor. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, left, fumbles the ball, which was recovered by Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025.  (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

It was the Commanders who recovered on Tampa Bay’s 11-yard line, and Daniels made the Bucs pay with a five-yard pass to McLaurin on fourth-and-2 to take the lead. 

The Bucs weren’t able to cash in on another red zone trip on the ensuing drive, opting to kick a game-tying field goal on fourth-and-3 from Washington’s 14-yard line. But they wouldn’t see the ball again thanks to Daniels and his offense. 

Mayfield was just 15-for-18 for 185 yards with two touchdowns, while Bucky Irving rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries. Mike Evans had the team’s first touchdown as part of his seven-catch, 92-yard day. 

Meanwhile, Brown and McLaurin each had 89 receiving yards on the night. 

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025.  (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Commanders will have a tough task in the Divisional Round, as they will be heading to Detroit to face the No. 1-seeded Lions as their No. 6 seed is lower than the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams and No. 5 Minnesota Vikings, who play the final wild card game on Monday night. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A Houston pimp who skipped bail during a trial 20 months ago that, even in his absence, resulted in a 75-year prison sentence for human trafficking is back in custody.

Thaddeus Allen, 36, had a warrant issued for his arrest in April 2023 after he failed to appear for his trial, according to then-Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

FOX 26 in Houston reported that Allen is back in custody after being admitted into a Houston hospital under an alias on New Year’s Eve. Investigators said Allen was in critical condition after overdosing on PCP and methamphetamine.

But it was not until Monday that the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Violent Criminal Apprehension Team located Allen after receiving a tip.

TEXAS AUTHORITIES SEARCH FOR CONVICTED PIMP WHO JUMPED BAIL BEFORE GETTING 75-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

“The ‘Ghost’ is no longer the ‘Ghost.’ That was his nickname that he was not so relevantly given because of his pension to disappear into the night,” Andy Kahan of Houston Crime Stoppers told the station. “This guy was a bad, bad dude. I mean, if you’re looking for a poster child for human trafficking, compelling prostitution, for taking girls and turning them into traffickers, Thaddeus Allen would be No. 1”

Houston Crime Stoppers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for information about the arrest on Sunday.

Allen’s weeklong trial began April 10, and he appeared for the first five days.

SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER NABBED IN TEXAS, CHARGED IN EL SALVADOR MURDER

Thaddeus Allen, 36, had a warrant issued for his arrest in April 2023 after he failed to appear for his trial. (iStock)

But when court commenced for the sixth day, he failed to appear to hear the closing arguments in his case.

Despite not being in the court building, the jury deliberated after hearing about Allen’s extended arrest record and found him guilty of human trafficking. Along with human trafficking, Allen had pending charges for aggravated promotion of prostitution involving numerous women.

The jury handed down a 75-year prison sentence, which Allen will be required to serve half of before he is eligible for parole.

HOUSTON MAN WITH LENGTHY CRIMINAL HISTORY ACCUSED OF STABBING HIS MOTHER

Despite not being in court, a jury found Thaddeus Allen guilty of human trafficking and handed down a 75-year prison sentence. (iStock)

The DA’s office described Allen as a “habitual felon” with several felony convictions on his record, which include evading police and burglary.

When he was charged with human trafficking and other charges, Allen was freed from custody after posting $200,000 bail.

“He’d been in and out of prison. I guess all of a sudden, he went, ‘You know, this just isn’t looking too good for me,’ and he said, ‘I’m gone. I’m out of here,'” Kahan told FOX 26 last week. “Crime Stoppers, we put out up to a $15,000 reward for any information, and I’m trying to find out if it was one of our tips that led to his arrest. This is a good day that we finally got him back in custody.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Kahan added that the sheriff’s office caught up with Allen and that he remained in custody at the hospital. Once he is released, detectives told the station, Allen would head straight to jail.

How to cut federal spending – and by how much – consumes Congressional Republicans right now.

Firestorms are scorching Southern California. But a political firestorm is about to singe Capitol Hill.

The natural disaster dynamic has morphed into a regular fiscal nightmare in Congress. And frankly, the way lawmakers address natural disasters creates a hyper obstacle to making a serious dent in the deficit and national debt.

Expect staggering costs.

TRUMP GIVES BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS MARCHING ORDER ON CRITICAL TAX NEGOTIATION

“This is going to be a very expensive event,” forecast Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif. 

FEMA is bracing for the price tag.

“We know this is going to be billions,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

President Biden is vowing help. 

“We’re going to pay for it. And we’ve got to be prepared to pay for it,” said the president. “We’re going to need the United States Congress to follow up with appropriations to help provide significant help for our fellow Americans who need this help.” 

Catastrophic natural disasters now pummel different quarters of the U.S. at an alarming rate. Devastating wildfires swept across Maui in 2023. Tornado outbreaks are the norm. Blackouts from the heat – or blizzards coupled with bone-chilling cold – dim the power grid. The dual hurricanes of Milton and Helene spun through the south last year, chewing through property just days apart in the fall. Water spilled out of rivers, creeks, steams, brooks and culverts, submerging entire communities.

Congress coughed up $100 billion just before Christmas to help victims recover from the hurricanes. Some of that money went to help people restart their businesses or cover costs to rebuild. $27 billion of it went to reload FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to prepare for future emergencies – like the one now incinerating the Golden State. Milton and Helene drained the DRF.

The aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires may become a fiscal nightmare for lawmakers as the new Congress attempts to address American’s growing national debt.

But Republicans now run Congress. President-elect Trump soon occupies the Oval Office. And when it comes to California – and what may have sparked the fires, Republicans could be reluctant to assist. That’s especially true as the mantra from Republicans is to slash $2 trillion in spending. In fact, there’s a fear among some Democrats that Congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump may try to penalize California – because it leans to the left.

Republicans now run the House and Senate. Mr. Trump takes office next week.

“When it comes to Congressional funding, the idea that we’re going to have an open checkbook, no matter how bad your policies are, is crazy,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on FOX Business.

TRUMP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO UNLEASH AROUND 100 EXECUTIVE ORDERS AFTER TAKING OFFICE

Democrats warned against partisan and region discord when natural disasters strike. 

“California has voted to support supplemental packages for hurricanes in the American South. And now this is our time of need,” said Whitesides.

Several Northern California Republicans told Fox that Democrats from Southern California were exceptionally helpful muscling through aid for their part of the state after wildfires.

So what happens when the bill comes due for the Los Angeles wildfires?

“We help all Americans,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee which oversees FEMA.

Congress members tour the wildfire disaster zone in Altadena on January 11, 2025.  (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Thompson was confident Congress would meet the needs of California.

“If we need to do more, we will,” said Thompson. 

Some Republicans blamed the wildfires – and the response – on liberal Democrats who run much of California. 

“It is an epic disaster of mismanagement,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on FOX Business. 

“What’s happened in California is the fault of (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom (D) and the legislature there.”

“What we can see is the failure of policy there and the failure of leadership in California,” piled on Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Fox. “We’re going to have to have real accountability. We need to have hearings to understand… to get to the bottom of what’s taking place. What the failures have been.”

California insurers nixed hundreds of thousands of policies for homeowners in areas prone to wildfires after state regulators banned higher premiums – despite the hazards. Some Republicans seized on this issue.

“California made some really bad policy decisions that caused those insurance companies to flee,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “The people that made those policy decisions have to be held accountable, too.”

Even some Democrats questioned the local response. 

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., worked on a bill to help guarantee water for all Californians when they turn on the spigot when he served in the state legislature.

NEWSOM FACT-CHECK SITE ON FIRE RESPONSE LINKS TO DEM PARTY FUNDRAISING GIANT

“Why didn’t they have water? Is it negligence or is it just the fact that so many fires were breaking out all over the city in so many different areas that the system was being pushed to capacity and got overwhelmed?” asked Gomez. 

Other Democrats rebuked GOP criticism of California’s leaders.

“I think that’s all just ridiculous,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. “I think the governor is on the ground doing a great job managing the response. I don’t think that we should be putting blame on anyone.” 

The cost of the fires likely means demands for another infusion of cash from Congress for FEMA – just as Republicans are starting to look to cut billions if not more than a trillion dollars. How can lawmakers pay for natural disasters – and yet slash all of this money? 

“It’s always going to be hard. I think we just got to prioritize. And, I think we need to couple any major spending with cuts on the other side,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.

“So to be clear, when that bill comes due for California, some conservatives want to see some offsets?” asked yours truly of Burchett.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters, in Washington is photographed on October 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“Absolutely,” replied Burchett.

The wildfires would have been a major issue had Congress not forked over more than $100 billion just to FEMA and various disasters in the bill before Christmas. Yet some Republicans are skeptical of the competence of FEMA to do the job. 

“I doubt the people of California will get their $700 that will be promised to them. Because as it happened in North Carolina, in Tennessee, a lot of people were turned down because all their identification was burnt up or was washed away. And there it’ll be all burnt up. It’ll just be a cluster,” predicted Burchett.

Florida’s former statewide emergency management director posed an ominous warning.

“I’ve got bad news for everybody. Disasters are coming everywhere,” observed Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., on MSNBC.

More disasters means additional demand for relief. That’s the challenge as Republicans try to cut spending. 

A few wise souls on Capitol Hill have tinkered with developing a new model to address natural disasters. The current budget model is fund appropriations under the premise that NOTHING will happen. Then it’s sometimes a challenge for lawmakers to pass a bill providing additional aid. 

So there were two monster hurricanes in the fall. Wildfires now. What’s next? An earthquake? Blizzards? Ice storms? Tornadoes? Drought? Floods? 

There has been debate about creating a “rainy day fund” – perhaps a “monsoon day fund” – that Congress can tap to dispatch major chunks of money without hassle when natural disasters hit.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Other natural disasters are inevitable. 

But Congressional funding to cover the cost is far from it.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and President-elect Trump met on Saturday and discussed the “mutual importance” of a U.S.-Canadian energy relationship and the hundreds of thousands of American jobs supported through Albertan exports.

“Over the last 24 hours I had the opportunity to meet President [Trump] at Mar-a-Lago last night and at his golf club this morning,” Smith wrote in a post on X. “We had a friendly and constructive conversation during which I emphasized the mutual importance of the U.S. – Canadian energy relationship, and specifically, how hundreds of thousands of American jobs are supported by energy exports from Alberta.”

She continued, saying she had similar discussions with “several key allies” of Trump’s incoming administration in which she became encouraged to hear about their support for “a strong energy and security relationship with Canada.”

“On behalf of Albertans, I will continue to engage in constructive dialogue and diplomacy with the incoming administration and elected federal and state officials from both parties, and will do all I can to further Alberta’s and Canada’s interests,” Smith said. “The United States and Canada are both proud and independent nations with one of the most important security alliances on earth and the largest economic partnership in history. We need to preserve our independence while we grow this critical partnership for the benefit of Canadians and Americans for generations to come.”

INFLUENTIAL LEADER OF CANADA’S ONTARIO PROVINCE SEEKS TRUMP, MUSK MEETING: US ‘NEEDS US LIKE WE NEED THEM’

Smith posted about the meeting on X, nearly a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation amid growing pressure from within his own Liberal Party and heightened criticisms over his handling of the economy and threats levied by Trump.

However, as Trudeau announced on Monday his plan to resign as prime minister once the Liberal Party that he leads chooses his successor, the biggest pushback to Trump’s pitch to annex Canada – and his planned 25% tariffs on exports from the country – has come from the premier of Canada’s most populous province, Ontario.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S RESIGNATION MET WITH GLEEFUL REACTION FROM CONSERVATIVES ONLINE: ‘THE WINNING CONTINUES!’

Smith and Trump discussed the relationship between the U.S. and Canada. (Danielle Smith X)

Doug Ford, a former businessman and conservative who has served as Ontario’s 26th premier since 2018, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the president-elect’s targeting Canada is both “crazy” and “ridiculous.”

TRUMP REACTS TO TRUDEAU RESIGNATION: ‘MANY PEOPLE IN CANADA LOVE BEING THE 51ST STATE’

He said the bilateral focus should be on “strengthening” what the Canadian government calls a nearly trillion-dollar two-way trade relationship to “make the U.S. and Canada the richest and most prosperous jurisdiction in the world.”

The president-elect has been trolling Canada in recent weeks, floating the idea of it becoming the 51st state and posting a doctored photo of him standing beside a Canadian flag on top of a mountain.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump has also been pushing for Denmark to sell the North Atlantic island of Greenland to the U.S.

Fox News’ Christopher Guly contributed to this report.

Leslie Charleson, known for her role on “General Hospital,” has died. She was 79.

The Daytime Emmy-nominated actress portrayed Monica Quartermaine on the soap opera for nearly 50 years.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” executive producer Frank Valentini confirmed on the show’s official Instagram account. 

‘GENERAL HOSPITAL’ STAR QUITS DAYTIME TV SHOW AFTER 14 YEARS

“Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. “

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

“On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

Charleson’s cause of death has not yet been determined.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

President-elect Donald Trump is giving Republicans his blessing to negotiate on a key tax that could prove critical to the GOP’s negotiations for a massive conservative policy overhaul next year.

Trump met with several different groups of House Republicans at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, including blue state GOP lawmakers who make up the House SALT Caucus – a group opposed to the current $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions that primarily affect urban and suburban residents in areas with high income and property taxes, such as New York, New Jersey, and California.

“I think it was productive and successful,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said of the meeting. “The president supports our efforts to increase the SALT deduction. He understands that mayors and governors in blue states are crushing taxpayers and wants to provide relief from the federal level.”

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

But Trump also signaled he was aware of the opposition from others in the House GOP conference, particularly rural district Republicans, who have viewed SALT deductions as tax breaks for the wealthy. Before the cap was imposed in 2017, there was no limit to how much state income and local property taxes people could deduct from their income when filing their federal returns.

“He gave us a little homework to work on, a number that could provide our middle class constituents with relief from the high taxes imposed by our governor and mayor, and at the same time, you know, something that can build consensus and get to [a 218-vote majority],” Malliotakis said.

 “I think we pretty much know that it’s not going to be a complete lifting of the SALT cap. There’s not an appetite within Congress or even among American taxpayers to lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy.

“Our efforts are really targeted to middle-class families, and that’s what we’re focused on in trying to achieve the right balance.”

The current SALT deduction cap has been opposed by New York and California lawmakers for much of its existence, since being levied in Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

RFK JR. TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told Fox News Digital that Trump would work with New York Republicans on congestion pricing (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump suggested he would change course during his second administration as early as September last year, when he posted on Truth Social that he would “get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more.”

The discussions are part of Republicans’ wider talks about passing a massive fiscal and conservative policy overhaul via a process known as “reconciliation.”

By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority instead of two-thirds, the process allows the party in control of both houses of Congress and the White House to pass certain legislation provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters.

Some pro-SALT deduction Republicans, like Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., had signaled they could withhold support from the final bill if the cap was not increased.

“The only red line I have is that if there is a tax bill that does not lift the cap on SALT, I would not support that,” Lawler told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

Lawler also said Trump agreed that SALT deduction caps needed to be raised.

House Republicans have virtually no room for error with a razor-thin majority from Trump’s inauguration until likely sometime in April.

Rep. Mike Lawler said SALT deduction caps were a “red line” for his support on a budget reconciliation bill (Tierney L. Cross)

Meanwhile, Trump also told New York Republicans that he would help them fight their state’s controversial congestion pricing rule that levies an added cost to drive in parts of Manhattan.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“He understands how unfair this is and how it would impact the city’s economy and the people we represent and so we’re currently working with him on legal options to reverse the rubber stamp of the Biden administration,” Malliotakis said. “If there’s a legal option, if there’s a legal option for him to halt congestion pricing, he will.”

“You have, you know, cops, police, firefighters, nurses, the restaurant workers that have to go in at odd hours, and they drive because they don’t feel that the transit system is clean or safe.”

Congestion pricing took effect in New York City earlier this month.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on this weekend’s meeting.

A child in California is presumed to have H5N1 bird flu, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH).

As of Dec. 23, there had been 36 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

This represents more than half of the human cases in the country.

LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US

The latest pediatric patient, who lives in San Francisco, experienced fever and conjunctivitis (pink eye) as a result of the infection.

The unnamed patient was not hospitalized and has fully recovered, according to the SFDPH.

The child tested positive for bird flu at the SFDPH Public Health Laboratory. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will perform additional tests to confirm the result.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

It is not yet known how the child was exposed to the virus and an investigation is ongoing.

“I want to assure everyone in our city that the risk to the general public is low, and there is no current evidence that the virus can be transmitted between people,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of health, in the press release. 

BIRD FLU PATIENT HAD VIRUS MUTATIONS, SPARKING CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN SPREAD

“We will continue to investigate this presumptive case, and I am urging all San Franciscans to avoid direct contact with sick or dead birds, especially wild birds and poultry. Also, please avoid unpasteurized dairy products.” 

Samuel Scarpino, director of AI and life sciences and professor of health sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, is calling for “decisive action” to protect individuals who may be in contact with infected livestock and also to alert the public about the risks associated with wild birds and infected backyard flocks. 

An infectious diseases expert called for “decisive action” to alert the public about the risks associated with wild birds and infected backyard flocks.  (iStock)

“While I agree that the risk to the broader public remains low, we continue to see signs of escalating risk associated with this outbreak,” he told Fox News Digital.

Experts have warned that the possibility of mutations in the virus could enable person-to-person transmission.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP     

“While the H5N1 virus is currently thought to only transmit from animals to humans, multiple mutations that can enhance human-to-human transmission have been observed in the severely sick American,” Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, told Fox News Digital.

As of Jan. 10, there have been a total of 707 infected cattle in California, per reports from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. (iStock)

“This highlights the requirement for vigilance and preparation in the event that additional mutations create a human-transmissible pandemic strain.”

As of Jan. 10, there have been a total of 707 infected cattle in California, per reports from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

In the last 30 days alone, the virus has been confirmed in 84 dairy farms in the state.