A patient over 65 years old in Louisiana became the first human US victim of the bird flu epidemic after contact with a backyard flock and wild birds.
According to CBS News, the Louisiana Department of Health announced the patient's death due to bird flu, expressed condolences to the family, and assured the public that the risk of spreading bird flu among people remains very low.
Health officials stated that the patient had underlying health conditions that may have contributed to the severity of his case, NBC News reported.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported that the patient was infected by the H5N1 virus after contact with domestic and wild birds, specifically a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds he raised at home.
According to The Washington Post, despite extensive public health investigations, no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus has been found, and the CDC states that there have been no cases of H5N1 virus transmission between humans.
US authorities have called for increased precautions among poultry workers, farmers, and anyone with direct exposure to infected birds, as they are at higher risk of infection.
According to the World Health Organization, other human deaths linked to the H5N1 virus have been recorded in other countries, with nearly half of the approximately 1,000 diagnosed cases resulting in death since H5N1 emerged.
The Louisiana Department of Health stated that people who work with birds, poultry, or cattle, or who are exposed to these animals in their leisure activities, are at greater risk and should take extra precautions.
The CDC continues to assess the risk to the general population as low.
According to The Washington Post, experts warn that mutations in the H5N1 virus could increase its ability to infect humans more effectively, posing a major public health threat, and the CDC has warned that the avian influenza virus has mutated into H5N1, which may be more transmissible in humans.
"However, it is important that people remain vigilant and avoid contact with sick animals, sick poultry, sick dairy cattle, and also avoid contact with wild birds," said Dr. Diego Diel, according to The New York Times.
"Just because we've seen mild cases doesn't mean future cases will continue to be mild," said Jennifer Nuzzo, emphasizing the need to treat all infections seriously and work harder to prevent them, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Since April, nearly 70 people have contracted avian influenza in the United States, mostly mild cases primarily among agricultural workers exposed to infected animals.
Prior to the recent death, all confirmed human cases in the United States had shown only mild symptoms, with no hospitalizations or fatalities reported.
The H5N1 virus has jumped to humans on hundreds of occasions, and the WHO warns that if it were to transmit easily among people, a new influenza pandemic could be triggered.
"LDH's extensive public health investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana," stated the Louisiana Department of Health, according to Mirror.
"I think it's pretty clear that we will continue to see severe disease," said Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, according to Business Insider.
"The news should remind us that H5N1 influenza has been and continues to be a dangerous virus," said Dr. James Lawler, a director of the University of Nebraska's Global Center for Health Security, according to The New York Times.
"The more widely the virus circulates, particularly infections in humans and other mammals, the higher the risk that the virus will acquire mutations that adapt the virus for human disease and transmission," Lawler added, according to The New York Times.
"The overall assessment of the immediate risk of H5N1 avian influenza to public health has not changed," the CDC stated, emphasizing, "The best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure as much as possible," The Guardian reported.
"Most H5 avian influenza infections are related to exposures among animals," the CDC insists, according to Mirror.
According to Stern, approximately 60 cases of H5N1 have been reported among humans, including, for the first time, a child linked to poultry exposure on a domestic farm.
"It is important to note that the individual was over 65 and had underlying health conditions, which may have contributed to the severity of the illness," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka, according to NBC News.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.