CDC Confirms: First ‘Severe’ Bird Flu Case of US Hospitalized!

United States: A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 avian flu, the first such case in the US, the CDC alerted.

More about the news

The agency said Wednesday that the person principally came into contact with sick and dead birds in the backyard poultry farm; this is the first bird flu case associated with backyard poultry farming.

According to Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, “It is believed that the patient that was reported by Louisiana had exposure to sick or dead birds on their property,” CNN Health reported.

CDC confirms first known severe case of #H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. Louisiana patient had contact with backyard poultry, by @HelenBranswell https://t.co/5KsiT5Vxum via @statnews #AvianInfluenza

— André Picard (@picardonhealth) December 18, 2024

However, “These are not commercial poultry, and there was no exposure to dairy cows or their related products,” Daskalakis added.

What more are the officials stating?

The Federal officials did not respond to questions about the patient’s symptoms or their current condition.

They would rather defer all questions on the case to the Louisiana Department of Health, which is investigating the incident.

This version, D1.1, is the same type identified in the more recent human cases in Canada and Washington state and also in wild birds and poultry in the US.

DEVELOPING: The CDC says a person in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S.

READ MORE: https://t.co/UdrhmPtFI8

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It is not B3.13, the same as the strain found in dairy cows, some poultry diseases, and other human cases reported across the United States.

The CDC noted it is collaborating on further genomic sequencing of specimens from the patient, who hails from south western Louisiana; the ongoing search into the patient’s history of exposure is ongoing.

Bird flu has been associated with serious disease and death in men in other nations. However, no person-to-person spread has been detected yet.

“This case does not change CDC’s overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public’s health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low,” the CDC stated.

The US has recorded 61 cases of human infection with H5 bird flu since April this year, mainly affecting dairy and poultry employees.

🚨 BREAKING: Deadly Bird Flu Case Confirmed in U.S. 🚨

The CDC reports the first severe human H5N1 infection in Louisiana, linked to backyard poultry. What does this mean for public health and U.S. agriculture? Find out now.

👉 Read more at https://t.co/M3IX6BLI9k.#BirdFlu… pic.twitter.com/zssKOwL5wC

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CDC said that measures should be taken by people with backyard chicken flocks, hunters and other bird lovers as evidenced by the case of Louisiana.

According to Dr. Rebecca Christofferson, a virologist at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, “The cases across the US are a constellation of spillovers,” CNN Health reported.

Scientists have not to this date clarified the manner in which these spillovers occur or what circumstances enhance one’s vulnerability to one.

“It’s just kind of a black box at the moment that a lot of people are trying to answer these questions on,” Christofferson added.