Louisiana reports 1st H5N1 avian influenza death in the US
About three weeks after the announcement of the first severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ("H5N1 bird flu") in a patient in Louisiana, state health officials report the patient has died. This is the first confirmed death from the virus in the United States.
The Louisiana Department of Health says the patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.
In addition, no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission was determined after an extensive investigation.
To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 66 human cases from 10 states since the beginning of 2024.
The CDC reported sequencing the virus from the Louisiana patient was compared to other HPAI A(H5N1) sequences from dairy cows, wild birds and poultry, as well as previous human cases and were identified as the D1.1 genotype. The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in virus sequences from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection.
While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk.
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The best way to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid sources of exposure. That means avoiding direct contact with wild birds and other animals infected with or suspected to be infected with bird flu viruses.
Protecting yourself and others from H5N1 infection
Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.
Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces.
Do not eat uncooked or undercooked food. Cook poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature and prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.
Avoid uncooked food products such as unpasteurized raw milk or cheeses from animals that have a suspected or confirmed infection.
If you work on poultry or dairy farms, talk to your provider about getting your seasonal flu vaccination. It will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, but it can reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.
Report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593 or the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Diagnostic Lab at 318-927-3441.
If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds or other animals or work on a farm where avian influenza has been detected, watch for respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis. If you develop symptoms within 10 days after exposure to sick or dead animals, tell your healthcare provider that you have been in contact with sick animals and are concerned about avian influenza. This will help them give you appropriate advice on testing and treatment. Stay home and away from others while you have symptoms.