CDC confirms first severe H5N1 case in U.S.
A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1), marking the first instance of severe illness linked to this virus in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the case on Friday, December 13. The patient, a Louisiana resident who is over the age of 65 and has underlying medical conditions, is in the hospital with severe respiratory illness and is in critical condition.
Since April 2024, there have been a total of 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu in the U.S.
Partial viral genome data from the H5N1 virus that infected the Louisiana patient indicates it belongs to the D1.1 genotype, which is related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., as well as in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state. An investigation into the source of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing. However, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. This incident represents the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. linked to exposure to a backyard flock.
To what extent are government systems responsible for the uncontrolled spread of the bird flu virus across multiple states in the U.S., culminating in a severe human case? Could additional measures have been implemented to prevent this outcome? We assert that the answer is clear and unequivocal: yes.
