Health officials confirm first bird flu-related human fatality as man. 66, dies

Louisiana health chiefs have confirmed the first US fatality tied to the severe H5N1 avian flu—the victim, a man above 65 with underlying health issues, sadly died after being rushed to hospital with the infection. Reportedly, he caught H5N1 due to contact with a mix of wild birds and a non-commercial backyard flock.

After a comprehensive probe by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), no further cases or signs of human-to-human spread have been found. This incident marks the sole case of H5N1 affecting a person within both the state and the country.

Despite this, the LDH has sought to reassure civilians that the general threat remains minimal. For individuals who interact with or are exposed to poultry and livestock, however, the danger may be greater.

Previously, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed that the virus had mutated in the Louisiana patient. These mutations, as per CDC analysis, could bolster the virus’s potential to attach to human upper respiratory receptors, reports The Express US.

“The changes observed were likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease rather than primarily transmitted at the time of infection,” noted the CDC.

The department has issued a statement expressing its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased, confirming that no further updates will be given due to patient confidentiality. The virus has been causing sporadic, mostly mild illnesses across the US, with the majority of infections occurring among individuals working on dairy or poultry farms.

This year, there have been 65 human cases of bird flu, with 39 linked to dairy herds and 23 associated with poultry farms and culling operations. In two cases – one adult in Missouri and a child in California – health officials are still trying to identify the source of infection.

The case in Louisiana comes weeks after Canadian officials reported a teenager in British Columbia being hospitalised with a severe case of bird flu. In both instances, the illnesses were caused by a strain of the virus found in wild birds, not cattle, according to officials.