CDC confirms first case of severe bird flu

A hospitalized patient in Louisiana is the first confirmed severe case of bird flu in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

The case was confirmed Dec. 13.

According to agency officials, the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.

This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock, the CDC said.

This virus is the same type linked to recent human cases in Canada and Washington state but different from the type detected in dairy cows, other poultry outbreaks and human cases, the CDC said.

Since April 2024, a total of 61 reported human cases of avian influenza have been reported in the United States.

No person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected, but to date the other cases have been mild with no hospitalizations.

The bird flu virus has previously been associated with severe human illness in other countries, so the CDC said it’s not unusual to see a sporadic severe case.

The immediate risk to the public’s health from H5N1 bird flu remains low, the CDC said.

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