Health officials report first human bird flu death in U.S.

Louisiana officials on Monday confirmed the first human bird flu death in the United States, according to a press release. The Louisiana case marked the first patient to contract a severe case of the virus domestically, according to a December release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State health officials noted that the infected patient was over the age of 65 and suffered from additional health conditions.

How did the patient catch bird flu? The patient contracted the virus after exposure to both a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, officials said. There’s no evidence of further person-to-person transmission from the patient, who received what remains the state’s only diagnosis of bird flu in a human, state health officials added.

The CDC categorized the flu as a low public health risk but insists it’s watching the outbreak carefully. Federal scientists are working to isolate the virus within clinical samples taken from the Louisiana patient. Officials warned that the virus is spread through the bodily fluids of infected animals and advised the public to avoid contact with unpasteurized cow milk or used animal litter.

How many human cases have been identified in the United States in total? Federal health officials confirmed a total of 66 human bird flu cases since the outbreak began in April. Many cases are from dairy and poultry workers exposed to the virus while working with livestock, with federal data showing a majority of the cases coming from California cattle herds. Washington has the second highest case number with 11 cases reported out of poultry farms and culling operations. After the first human bird flu case was reported in April, the Biden administration in July shelled out $176 million to Moderna to kick-start the development of a human bird flu vaccine.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It on whether it is safe to drink milk amid the bird flu outbreak.