The first person to have a severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. This is the first human death from bird flu in the US.
The person, who was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with the flu after exposure to a backyard flock of birds and to wild birds.
Louisiana health officials said that their investigation found no other human cases linked to this person’s infection.
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The patient was infected with the D1.1 clade of the bird flu virus, a strain that is circulating in wild bird and poultry. It’s different from the variant that’s circulating in dairy cattle.
The CDC reported in late December that a genetic analysis of the virus that infected the patient found changes expected to enhance its ability to infect the upper airways of humans and spread more easily from person to person. Those same changes were not seen in the birds the person had been exposed to, officials said, indicating that they had developed in the person after they were infected.
Although the overall risk to the public remains low, people who keep chickens and other birds in their backyards are at higher risk for bird flu, as are workers on dairy and poultry farms.
People who work with animals, or who have been in contact with sick or dead animals or their droppings, should watch for breathing problems and red, infected eyes for 10 days after exposure. If they develop symptoms, they should tell their health care provider about their recent exposure.
Other ways to stay safe include:
- 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 a health care 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 US Department of Agriculture toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.
This is a developing story and will be updated.