A person in Louisiana has died from Avian flu (bird flu), marking the first death from the virus in the United States. The 66-year old patient was hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms from their infection. The person became infected through exposure to sick birds from their backyard flock. While bird flu has ravaged poultry and dairy farms in the US over the past 3 years, most human infections have been mild. Since March 2024, 66 confirmed human infections have occurred in the US. Most of these cases have produced mild symptoms and the majority of those infected have been farmworkers in contact with sick animals. However, a death was not unprecedented. Since 2003, of the 950 people with known Avian Flu infections worldwide, over 460 (48%) have died.
This death is a “tragic reminder” that bird flu “is a serious threat and it has historically been a deadly virus,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, Director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. “Just because we have seen mild cases does not mean future cases will continue to be mild”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that the immediate threat to people remains low. Experts caution, however, that continued spread of the virus throughout animals and humans increases the chances the the virus will mutate to adapt better to humans.
Full Story: Associated Press
