Louisiana health authorities have confirmed the first human fatality linked to the H5N1 bird flu virus in the United States. The patient, an individual over 65 years of age with underlying medical conditions, had been hospitalized for a severe respiratory illness.
The Louisiana Department of Health announced Monday that the patient contracted the virus after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds. While this marks the first serious human case of H5N1 in the country, health officials assured the public that the overall risk of bird flu remains low.
“While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry, or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk,” the department stated.
Genetic analysis revealed that the strain of H5N1 infecting the patient differed from the version found in many poultry farms and dairy herds across the country, suggesting that the virus is mutating.
First detected in 1996, H5N1 has seen a significant resurgence since 2020, with outbreaks escalating among bird populations and an increasing number of mammal species affected. The widespread presence of the virus in mammals raises concerns among experts about potential mutations that could facilitate human-to-human transmission.
The patient’s case, initially reported in mid-December as critical, had already sparked fears of a potential bird flu pandemic. Despite these concerns, health officials emphasize that no evidence of human-to-human transmission has been identified.
The Louisiana Department of Health continues to monitor the situation closely while urging those who work with animals or have recreational exposure to birds to take precautionary measures to reduce their risk of infection.
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