The CDC confirmed the first US-based severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana last December. the Louisiana Department of Health reported on Monday that the patient had died.

The LDH revealed that the patient was over 65 years old, had an underlying medical condition and contracted bird flu after exposure to wild birds and a noncommercial backyard flock. “LDH’s extensive public health assessment has not identified additional cases of H5N1 or evidence of person-to-person transmission,” the department wrote. “This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana.” CNN Health reported that the patient had D1.1 clade of bird flu viruswhich is different from the strain circulating in dairy cattle.

When the patient first contracted the disease in December, the CDC said that this rare case of severe H5N1 bird flu disease was unusual. The H5N1 virus has been linked to severe human illness and disease resulting in death in other countries in 2024 and before. At press time, the CDC has not reported a patient death.

It comes about two months after a The Canadian teenager was hospitalized there is H5N1 bird flu. The Public Health Agency of Canada said the virus was “related to the avian influenza H5N1 virus from an ongoing chicken outbreak in British Columbia.” However, citing privacy reasons, Canadian public health officials did not provide an update to the patient or the source of the virus even though their investigation is closed.

Over the past few months, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national flu monitoring system has reported two human cases of bird flu with no clear link to exposure to sick animals — adult in Missouri reported in early September, and late November, a child in California.

The risk to the general public (ie people who do not have direct contact with farm animals, especially sick ones) remains lowAccording to the CDC. Many infectious disease experts and scientists continue to raise the call for more alarm and action in the current bird flu situation, especially after the first reported case of bird flu in a pig this fall. While again stressing the risk to the public is low, the CDC is calling the avian influenza spread in a new mammal “always about,” especially in pigs because they are susceptible to influenza viruses.

In addition, the spread of avian influenza overlaps with a new interest in wellness trend of drinking raw milk. In November, raw milk sold in California recalled because it contains the bird flu virus.

Two indoor cats that consumed this raw milk and have since died tested positive for Influenza A (of which H5N1 bird flu is a subtype), which is rare in cats. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the department is “These are considered suspected cases of H5 bird flu and are taking confirmatory testing,” said the nationwide H5 bird flu outbreak found in other cats infected with the virus after they drank contaminated raw milk. More recently, the pet food company Northwest Naturals recalled a batch of its raw turkey pet food after an indoor cat died from bird flu linked to the product.

According to the USDA, in the last 30 days, there have been 182 are confirmed cases in two states of cattle infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus. This brings the total number of confirmed cattle cases to 917 in 16 states.

The fact that bird flu is found in raw milk should not be surprising because raw milk does not undergo a pasteurization process that inactivates harmful bacteria or viruses such as bird flu, but it calls and attention in another way where — while there is no human disease. reported from it — people could theoretically be exposed to bird flu.

As long as animals and humans live, work and gather together, there is a risk of viruses mutating enough to be able to jump from species to species. Fortunately, bird flu in humans has so far been rare, in part because the virus does not spread easily from animals to humans, or between humans, although occasional cases have occurred in other countries as well as the US. While the space between the potential for human exposure is narrow compared to the continued spread of bird flu in animals, it is more important to understand the risk of bird flu to public health and its threat of another pandemic.

Here’s what to know about bird flu, or avian influenza, and what it looks like in people.

What is bird flu?

In short, bird flu, aka avian influenzaa type of flu that spreads between certain animals and is currently causing outbreaks in birds and cattle in the US. Scientists are closely monitoring mutations that may make it possible for the virus to spread among people, which could be a major threat to public health.

More specifically, bird flu is a disease caused by infection with an influenza type A virus, and it can be “highly pathogenic” or “low pathogenic.” The current H5N1 outbreak strain in animals is highly pathogenic.

Bird flu was first detected and controlled in 1997, but this back in 2003 and began to spread among the birds.

The World Health Organization reports four types of influenza virus: A, B, C and D. Type A viruses, which occur in humans and various types of animals, are the greatest threat to public health and can cause pandemics, the WHO has – said. the “swine flu” in the 2009 pandemic caused by a type A virus. Seasonal influenza viruses in humans due to type A and type B viruses.

Is bird flu deadly? How many cases have there been in the US?

There are 66 confirmed human cases of H5 (highly pathogenic) bird flu in the US, according to January 6 information from the CDC. Most of them are in people who have had direct contact with sick animals, and the CDC’s flu surveillance system shows no signs of unusual flu activity in people.

Human cases remain rare, but bird flu is considered a serious threat to public health because of its high fatality rate — about half cases of bird flu H5N1 in humans have resulted in death since tracking began, according to WHO information. One death from bird flu has been reported in the US, and historically, people who tested positive for the virus had direct contact with sick animals and showed up. mild, flu-like symptoms.

Is there a vaccine for bird flu?

There is no bird flu vaccine available or recommended for people today. However, the US has invested in making vaccines available in an emergency situation, should something happen. In October, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response awarded about $72 million to CSL Seqirus, Sanofi and GSK to fill and finish the extra dose of vaccines that can be used for avian influenza.

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced in early July that the government gave Moderna $176 million to develop its influenza mRNA vaccine, which could be used when bird flu starts spreading person-to-person or becomes a pandemic.

Can I get bird flu from milk, eggs or meat?

There have not been any reports of people contracting bird flu in the US from drinking milk or eating meat from birds or cows. The commercial food supply, which consists of most food you get in a regular grocery store, is regulated, and meat from affected animals should not be placed on the shelves.

There is already found fragments of inactive bird flu virus in pasteurized milk samples since the virus began to spread among cows. The high-temperature pasteurization process inactivates any viruses or bacteria, including bird flu, that can make people sick. The infectious virus was found in raw milk, and the US Food and Drug Administration reiterated the general health risks of drinking raw milknot only in terms of bird flu but also for other pathogens that often live in unpasteurized milk.

In terms of meat, cooking ground hamburger is also expected kill the bird flu virusaccording to the Department of Agriculture. The same is true for chicken; According to the CDC, cooking eggs and chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills viruses, including bird flu.

It can be difficult to get the flu from food or drink though, according to the infectious disease experts we spoke to In the past, influenza (including bird flu) was a respiratory virus.

If you work directly with animals or livestock, including working on a farm, or even if you visit a fair where there are livestockyou must check the specific CDC safety tips to reduce the risk of contagion.