US Records Its First Human Bird Flu Death

A 65-year-old patient in the United States with underlying medical conditions has died from bird flu. According to NBC News, 'health officials considered the case to be the 'country's first severe human H5N1 infection.' From the report: The Louisiana Department of Health said the patient had been exposed to a combination of a backyard flock and wild birds. 'The Department expresses its deepest condolences to the patient's family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one,' it said in a statement. 'Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient.' All but one of the [67] human bird flu infections confirmed so far in the U.S. were diagnosed in the last 10 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases have been relatively mild, with symptoms including pinkeye, coughs or sneezes. The majority of the patients became sick after exposure to infected cattle or poultry. The Louisiana patient was the first case linked to exposure to a backyard flock.

The CDC maintains that the immediate risk to public health is low. Public health officials have not found any evidence that the virus has spread person-to-person, which would mark a dire step in bird flu's evolution. 'While tragic, a death from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death,' the agency said in a statement on Monday. 'There are no concerning virologic changes actively spreading in wild birds, poultry, or cows that would raise the risk to human health,' the statement added. However, samples of the virus collected from the Louisiana patient showed signs of mutations that could make it more transmissible to humans, according to the agency.

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