A individual in Louisiana was admitted to the hospital with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the first of its kind in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the patient had come into touch with dead and ill birds in backyard flocks.
More than 60 bird flu infections have been reported this year, more than half of them in California.
In two cases—an adult in Missouri and a child in California—health officials have not determined how the patients contracted the virus.
The CDC confirmed the Louisiana infection on Friday, but did not announce it until Wednesday. It’s also the first US human case linked to exposure to a backyard flock.
Health officials emphasise that bird flu is still mainly an animal health issue, and the risk to the general public remains low. Importantly, there’s been no documented spread of the virus from person to person, providing reassurance.
The CDC stated that the best way to prevent H5 bird flu is to avoid exposure whenever possible.
Infected birds shed avian influenza viruses in their saliva, mucous, and feces. Other infected animals may shed avian influenza A viruses in respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids.
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