The United States has recorded its first human death linked to the H5N1 bird flu virus, health officials in Louisiana confirmed on Monday. The deceased, over 65 years old and with underlying health conditions, had been hospitalised for a severe respiratory illness.
This case marks the first serious human infection of H5N1 in the US and follows warnings issued in mid-December when the patient was reported in critical condition. Authorities traced the infection to contact with a combination of wild birds and a backyard flock.
Despite the death, the Louisiana Department of Health emphasised that the risk to the general public remains low, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission. However, individuals working with birds or exposed to them recreationally face higher risks.
Genetic analysis revealed that the virus strain infecting the patient differs from the H5N1 strain found in poultry and dairy farms across the US. First identified in 1996, H5N1 has seen a surge in outbreaks among birds and mammals in recent years, raising concerns about potential mutations that could enable easier human transmission.
