Health officials in Louisiana have confirmed the first U.S. bird flu death on Monday, that of an older patient who had been hospitalized with severe symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the fatality is the first linked to bird flu nationwide.
The patient was reportedly older than 65 with underlying medical issues. The contamination came from the patient’s close contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.
Experts suggested the bird flu virus’ mutation inside the patient worsened their initial respiratory symptoms.
66 confirmed human cases of bird flu infections have been reported in the U.S. since March, most with mild and less severe symptoms.
Director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health Jennifer Nuzzo said the bird flu virus “is a serious threat and it has historically been a deadly virus.”
“This is just a tragic reminder of that. Just because we have seen mild cases does not mean future cases will continue to be mild.”
