First human death from bird flu recorded in the US

A patient in Louisiana has died from avian influenza in what authorities consider to be the first severe H5N1 infection in a US resident. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 67 cases of bird flu in humans have been recorded in the country since 2024. 

The unnamed patient, who was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalised in Louisiana in December after contracting the H5N1 strain of the virus. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that the patient had been exposed to both a backyard flock and wild birds. 

The CDC maintains that the immediate risk to public health remains low. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the virus has spread person-to-person, which would be a significant development in the evolution of bird flu. 

A CDC spokesman said: “While tragic, a death from H5N1 is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death. There are no concerning virologic changes actively spreading in wild birds, poultry or cows that would raise the risk to human health