A patient in Louisiana has become the first person in the US to die from bird flu.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported Monday afternoon that a patient hospitalized in the state with the state’s first human case of bird flu has now died.
The patient was over 65 years old and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the department announced in a statement.
The patient contracted bird flu, officially known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.
The Louisiana Department of Health’s comprehensive public health investigation has found no new H5N1 cases or evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana, the LDH added.
In the statement, the department “extends its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.”
It added that patient confidentiality and respect for the family meant there would be no further updates on the patient from that authority. The patient has not been named.
The department added that “while the current public health risk to the general public remains low, people who work with, or are recreationally exposed to, birds, poultry or cows are at greater risk. The best way to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid sources of exposure. This means that you should avoid direct contact with wild birds and other animals that are infected or suspected of being infected with bird flu viruses.”