Severe Case of Bird Flu H5N1 in the United States

First Severe Case of H5N1 Bird Flu
Patient Exposed to Infected Birds
CDC: Public Risk Remains Low

A Louisiana resident who required hospitalization has become the first severe case of bird flu in the U.S.

Authorities announced this on Wednesday, December 18.

The case, detected last Friday, involves a patient exposed to sick or dead poultry in a private residence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently investigating the incident.

The First Severe Case of Bird Flu Was «Not Unexpected»

First Severe Case of H5N1 Bird Flu, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, H5N1, MundoNOW — First Severe Case of H5N1 Bird Flu – PHOTO: Screenshot from X

The federal agency confirmed that this marks the «first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S.»

It is associated with exposure to a backyard flock, referring to poultry raised in domestic or small-scale outdoor settings.

Since April of this year, a total of 61 human cases of bird flu have been reported in the U.S.

None of these cases involved human-to-human transmission, according to Efe.

The CDC emphasized that «a sporadic case of severe bird flu in humans is not unexpected» and noted that the virus has caused fatal illnesses in the past.

The agency reiterated that the immediate public health risk from H5N1 in the U.S. «remains low.»

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the total number of reported H5N1 bird flu cases in humans this year to 76.

Most of these cases have been detected in the United States.

The WHO emphasized that the general population’s risk of infection remains low for now.

The risk of transmission is considered low to moderate for workers in the livestock sector and individuals exposed to infected animals.

The organization advises the preferential consumption of pasteurized milk.

This recommendation follows a November incident where a sample of raw milk sold in the U.S. tested positive for the H5N1 virus. No person-to-person transmission has been detected.