BATON ROUGE — Officials with the Louisiana Department of Health have reported the first U.S. bird flu death.
According to state health officials, the patient, who was over the age of 65, had been hospitalized in critical condition with bird flu, or H5N1, since December 13. The patient also had underlying health conditions, officials said in December.
The patient was reportedly in Southwest Louisiana.
This marks not only the first bird flu-related death in the United States but also the first severe illness linked to the virus in the country. The patient, who has not been identified, contracted H5N1 after exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
“The Department expresses its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one,” the state said in a news release. “Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient.”
LDH’s investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana, LDH says. It is also believed to be the first human case in the U.S. linked to backyard birds.
H5N1 is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects birds. It can occasionally spread to humans through close contact with infected birds.
The World Health Organization has said the illness rarely infects humans, with just 888 human cases being reported worldwide from 2003 to March 2024. Health officials say that 52% of those people infected died.
In the U.S. there have been 66 human cases of bird flu across 10 states, according to the CDC.
Protecting yourself and others from H5N1 infection
- Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.
- Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces.
- Do not eat uncooked or undercooked food. Cook poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature and prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.
- Avoid uncooked food products such as unpasteurized raw milk or cheeses from animals that have a suspected or confirmed infection.
- If you work on poultry or dairy farms, talk to your provider about getting your seasonal flu vaccination. It will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, but it can reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.
- Report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593 or the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Diagnostic Lab at 318-927-3441.
If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds or other animals or work on a farm where avian influenza has been detected, watch for respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis.
If you develop symptoms within 10 days after exposure to sick or dead animals, tell your healthcare provider that you have been in contact with sick animals and are concerned about avian influenza. This will help them give you appropriate advice on testing and treatment. Stay home and away from others while you have symptoms.
This is a developing story. As soon as more details are provided, the story will be updated. Check back for new information.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
One Response
This person did not die from bird flu, the person died from the other conditions he had with complications from bird flu. The man did not die only because of bird flu. This is the same thing people did with Covid. Then just recently they came out and said there wasn’t as many deaths as originally indicated.