The state of Louisiana has announced that the patient suffering from a severe form of avian flu has died.
- America’s first serious human case of bird flu has died.
- The health authorities’ investigation “did not identify additional cases of H5N1 or evidence of person-to-person transmission.”
- The risk of avian flu for the general public therefore remains considered “low”.
The first serious human case detected in the United States has died, according to a press release sent by the State of Louisiana on January 6, 2024. This is the first death linked to the H5N1 virus on American soil.
1st death linked to H5N1 in the USA: the patient had several pathologies
The case of this 65-year-old man was reported in December 2024. He had been contaminated with the H5N1 virus by farmyard and wild birds. The patient, who suffered from other pathologies, was hospitalized in “critical condition”.
According to analyzes carried out on the deceased patient, the virus was different from that found in several infected herds of dairy cows and poultry farms in the USA. Furthermore, tests showed that part of the virus had mutated inside the man’s body to adapt to his respiratory tract.
However, American health authorities are reassuring. They indicated that their investigation “did not identify other cases of H5N1 or evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana”.
Avian flu: still a low risk for the general public
The Louisiana State Department of Health assures that the risk of avian flu for the population remains “weak”. However, health authorities are calling “people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or who are exposed to these animals as part of their leisure time” to caution. Their risk of infection is “higher”.
For several months, the USA has been facing an increase in cases of avian flu. In 2024, 66 human cases of avian flu have been identified. With the exception of the serious case caused by the disease, they were all mild. Although no human-to-human transmission has been observed, many scientists are concerned about the level of circulation of the H5N1 virus in the country. Last July, the WHO called on all countries to strengthen their surveillance of cases of avian flu in animals and humans.
“Understanding how these viruses spread and evolve in animals is critical to identifying any changes that could increase the risk of outbreaks in humans or the possibility of a pandemic.”explained Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO.
