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The first death in the United States due to avian influenza A(H5N1), or bird flu, has been reported in Louisiana. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed this tragic event but reassured the public that the risk remains low.
There have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022. Globally, more than 950 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported to the World Health Organization, with about half resulting in death.
CDC did not disclose information about the deceased person but emphasized that most H5 bird flu infections stem from animal-to-human exposures. The agency is actively monitoring for any viral changes that could pose a threat to human health.
Health News
First Bird Flu Death Reported in the US
The first death in the United States due to avian influenza A(H5N1), or bird flu, has been reported in Louisiana. 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a press release.
There have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022. Outside the country, more than 950 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported to the World Health Organization; about half of those have resulted in death.
CDC did not reveal information about the person who died in Louisiana, but said that the risk to the general public remains low. No person-to-person transmission has been identified.
CDC said it is working closely with state and local partners to conduct active surveillance for H5 cases, and monitoring for changes that might suggest H5 viruses are becoming better adapted to mammals and therefore might spread more easily from animals-to-humans or human-to-human or cause more severe disease.
Also, it is monitoring for any viral changes that could make these viruses less responsive to flu antiviral medications or the available candidate vaccine viruses.
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Health News, Bird Flu, CDC, First Death, H5N1, Louisiana
