Officials in Louisiana on Monday confirmed the first human death from the H5N1 avian influenza in the United States, weeks after the patient was hospitalized.
The patient, who was not identified, is over the age of 65 and was “reported to have underlying medical conditions,” the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement, adding that the individual contracted H5N1 after being exposed to wild birds and a “non-commercial backyard flock.”
No additional cases of the highly pathogenic form of avian influenza were identified in the state, officials said. There is also no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
This is the only human case of H5N1 in the state, the Louisiana health agency said, while expressing “deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.” No more updates on the patient will be provided, it added….