The United States has reported its first human fatality from bird flu, marking a somber milestone amid a rising number of H5N1 cases. The patient, a Louisiana resident over 65 years old with underlying health conditions, passed away in December after exposure to a combination of wild birds and a backyard flock.
The Louisiana Department of Health expressed condolences to the family in a statement, emphasizing respect for their privacy: “Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this case is the first severe human H5N1 infection in the U.S. and the first linked to exposure from a backyard flock.
Over the past 10 months, the U.S. has confirmed at least 66 human bird flu infections, most of which have been mild, presenting symptoms like pinkeye, coughing, and sneezing. In many cases, patients became ill after contact with infected poultry or livestock.
While public health officials have not detected evidence of human-to-human transmission—a critical concern in the virus’s potential evolution—the CDC noted that virus samples from the Louisiana patient showed mutations that could increase transmissibility to humans.
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