DAILY Bites
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First U.S. H5N1 case results in patient’s death; no person-to-person spread detected.
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Bird flu virus mutated inside the patient but hasn’t adapted to spread among humans.
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CDC maintains low public health risk despite widespread avian outbreaks.
DAILY Discussion
The Louisiana Department of Health reports the patient who had been hospitalized with the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, in Louisiana and the U.S. has died. The patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.
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.
“The Department expresses its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one,” writes state officials. “Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient.”
Officials also noted that a genetic analysis suggests that the bird flu virus mutated inside the patient, potentially leading to a more severe illness. Scientists analyzed the virus’s genetic code and found it closely matched strains from wild birds and poultry in the region.
However, some subtle genetic changes in the virus appeared to develop after the person was infected, not during animal exposure. These changes, while rare, are not unusual in severe cases and don’t suggest the virus has adapted to spread easily among humans.
The good news? The virus hasn’t developed resistance to antiviral drugs, and there’s no sign of it spreading to other people. The Centers for Disease Control emphasizes that while bird flu remains a concern, the risk to the general public is still low.
There are no cases of person-to-person spread, and the health risk remains low. Currently, the CDC reports a total of 66 confirmed human cases in the U.S.
As of early 2025, bird flu has been detected in 10,922 wild birds across 51 jurisdictions and has impacted over 130 million poultry in all 50 states. Additionally, 917 dairy herds in 16 states have been affected by outbreaks.
