US confirms first severe human case of bird flu

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that a patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 infection in Louisiana, marking the first known instance of a severe human illness linked to the bird flu virus in the United States.

The CDC said on Wednesday that a sporadic case of severe H5N1 bird flu illness in a person is not unexpected as has previously been experienced in other countries during 2024 and prior years, including in cases that led to death.

Health officials say bird flu is still mainly an animal health issue, and the risk to the general public remains low. There’s been no documented spread of the virus from person to person.

"The best way to prevent H5 bird flu is to avoid exposure whenever possible," the agency said in a news release. "Infected birds shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, mucous, and feces. Other infected animals may shed avian influenza A viruses in respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids (e.g., in unpasteurised cow milk or ‘raw milk’).”

From skies to barns

CDC said that partial viral genome data from the infected patient shows that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype, recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state.

This genotype of the virus is different from the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, human cases than multiple states, and some poultry outbreaks in the coun try, CDC said.

There have been a total of 61 human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States since April, according to the CDC.