First Severe U.S. Human H5N1 Bird Flu Case Confirmed; Louisiana Patient Linked to Sick Backyard Birds

Dec 18, 2024, 05:15 PM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States on December 18, 2024. The patient, hospitalized in Louisiana since December 13, was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. This marks the country's 61st human infection with H5N1, the first in Louisiana. The virus is identified as genotype D1.1. According to the CDC, no person-to-person transmission has been detected, and the risk to the general public remains low.