A 65-year-old person in Louisiana with existing health problems has become the first person in the United States to die from the H5N1 bird flu virus. The person had been in the hospital since mid-December.
Here's a simplified explanation:
What is H5N1 bird flu? A type of flu virus that mainly affects birds but can sometimes infect humans.
How did the person in Louisiana get infected? They were exposed to birds from a backyard flock and wild birds.
Is this a major threat to the public? Health officials say the risk to the general public is still low. No other cases or human-to-human spread have been found in Louisiana.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
Mild: Fever, cough, tiredness, pink eye (conjunctivitis).
Severe: Nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath.
Recent US cases have often included pink eye, sometimes linked to contaminated milk from infected cows.
How does bird flu spread to humans? Usually through direct contact with infected birds or their bodily fluids (saliva, droplets from coughs or sneezes, and poop). Properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat. In very rare cases, it can spread from person to person, but this hasn't been seen in the US.
How is bird flu diagnosed? Doctors use swabs from the nose, throat, or eye. Regular flu tests don't check for H5N1 specifically, so patients need to tell their doctor if they might have been exposed to infected birds.
How can bird flu be prevented?
Wear protective clothing when around birds.
Wash hands often.
Avoid contact with sick birds.
Follow public health advice during outbreaks.
Key Facts:
H5N1 was first found in Hong Kong in 1996.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 950 human cases worldwide, with a high death rate (around 50%).
Outbreaks have increased since 2020, affecting many types of mammals.
The CDC has reported some human cases in the US since 2024, but this is the first death.
H5N1 can cause pink eye.
Cooked poultry is safe to eat.
The virus can change (mutate) to spread more easily between humans.
What is being done to monitor and research bird flu? The US government has increased funding for monitoring and research. This recent death has led to discussions about improving public health responses to potential outbreaks. Scientists are also working on developing vaccines.
In simple terms: Someone in Louisiana has died from bird flu after contact with birds.
This is the first such death in the US. While the risk to the public is still low, health officials are closely monitoring the situation. Bird flu usually spreads from birds to humans, not between humans. It's important to take precautions like washing hands and avoiding contact with sick birds