First U.S. death from H5N1 bird flu reported in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS: A Louisiana resident who was hospitalised with the H5N1 bird flu has died, marking the first reported human fatality from the virus in the United States, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The patient, who has not been publicly identified, was over 65 years old and had underlying medical conditions, which placed them at higher risk for severe illness.

The individual was hospitalised on December 18 after being exposed to a combination of backyard chickens and wild birds, health officials stated. The case adds to the growing concern about the spread of H5N1 , a strain of bird flu that has affected millions of birds across the U.S. in recent months.

Since April, nearly 70 people in the U.S. have contracted bird flu, with most cases occurring among farmworkers exposed to infected poultry and dairy herds, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the general public’s risk remains low, the recent fatality has raised alarm among health experts.

Ongoing bird flu outbreak

The H5N1 virus, which began circulating in poultry in 2022, has led to the deaths of nearly 130 million wild and domestic poultry and sickened hundreds of dairy herds across the U.S. Federal and state health officials have continuously assured the public that the risk of widespread transmission remains low, but they are closely monitoring the situation.

The virus found in the Louisiana patient has been identified as belonging to the D1.1 genotype, which has been detected in both wild birds and poultry in Washington State, as well as a recent severe case in a teenager in British Columbia, Canada. This genotype is different from the B3.13 strain currently affecting dairy cows in the U.S., which has been associated with mild symptoms in humans, such as conjunctivitis.

Concerns and precautions

While no evidence suggests that the virus has evolved to spread easily between humans, experts continue to watch for any changes in the virus’s behaviour. According to the CDC, people who work with poultry, or dairy cows, or who have recreational exposure to birds are at higher risk for contracting the virus.

“Though H5N1 cases in the U.S. have been uniformly mild, the virus does have the capacity to cause severe disease and death in certain cases,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security.

Worldwide, the World Health Organisation has reported more than 950 human cases of bird flu, with approximately half resulting in death. The virus has long been known to have a high mortality rate in humans, though human-to-human transmission remains rare.

Experts urge greater vigilance

The death of the Louisiana patient has sparked renewed calls for vigilance. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University’s School of Public Health, described the incident as a tragic reminder of the virus’s potential severity. “H5N1 is a deadly virus,” Nuzzo said. “This is a wake-up call for us all to take bird flu more seriously.”

Gail Hansen, a veterinary and public health consultant, echoed Nuzzo’s sentiments. “I hate to have the death of somebody be a wake-up call,” Hansen remarked, adding that the public and health officials need to pay more attention to the risks posed by bird flu.

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