In response to concerns about rising bird flu cases in the United States, the Louisiana Department of Health announced the first U.S. human death caused by the deadly bird flu virus, also known as avian influenza A ( H5N1 ), on Monday.
The Louisiana Department of Health stated in a press release on Monday that” the patient who had been treated for the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza ( HPAI ) or H5N1 in Louisiana and the United States has passed away.”
The unnamed individual had “underlying health circumstances” and was older than 65 years old, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The individual was exposed to a “non-commercial garden sheep and wild animals,” and the office noted that the patient later developed the bird flu disease.
In Monday’s press release, the Louisiana Department of Health said an “extensive open health analysis” found no evidence of person-to-person distribution of the bird flu virus. The department likewise confirmed that the person who passed away is the only person in Louisiana with this deadly disease.
People who work with parrots, chicken, or cows, or who have fun exposure to them, are at higher risk, according to the Louisiana Department of Health, while the public’s existing public health risk is lower.
READ MORE: State of emergency declared in California , over lethal disease
The Louisiana Department of Health argued that people should avoid strong contact with exotic birds and other animals who are infected with bird flu infections in order to best protect themselves from the bird flu virus.
The bird flu virus was the first human fatality in the United States, according to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). The CDC said it was” saddened” by Louisiana’s report that the individual “hospitalized with severe avian influenza A” had died.
A dying from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is certainly unexpected, according to the CDC, because the virus has a identified potential to cause severe illness and death. ” As of January 6, 2025, there have been 66 confirmed animal cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022″.
The CDC explained that the World Health Organization has received over 950 bird flu cases and that almost half of those cases have resulted in fatalities.
The CDC continues to determine that the threat to the general public is still low and has” seen the applicable information about the person who died in Louisiana.” ” Most important, no person-to-person transfer spread has been identified. As with the situation in Louisiana, most H5 bird flu diseases are related to animal-to-human risks”.
