First severe case of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in the US; patient hospitalised

The first case of severe bird flu has been confirmed in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raising worries about the health crisis deepening. The health agency confirmed that the patient has been hospitalised in Louisiana, but other details are yet to be known.
Partial viral genome data of the bird flu virus that infected the patient suggests that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state, as per a CDC release.
The version is different from what was found to be spreading in dairy cows and some poultry populations in the US.
Additional genomic sequencing and efforts to isolate viruses from clinical specimens from the patient in Louisiana are being done at CDC.

It has been found out that the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, making it the first case of

H5N1 bird flu

in the US linked to exposure to a backyard flock.
A severe H5N1 bird flu illness in a person is not entirely unexpected. The infection has previously been associated with severe human illness in other countries during 2024 and prior years, including illness resulting in death.

Till date, no person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has been detected.

A total of 61 human cases of H5 bird flu have reported in the United States starting April this year.
The case is particularly worrying as before this all the other cases had been mild and patients had recovered after receiving antiviral medication, according to the CDC and state health officials.
Sore throat, cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle or body aches, fatigue and shortness of breath are some of the common symptoms as per CDC while some lesser common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.
It is important to avoid exposure to the virus whenever possible. Infected birds shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, mucous, and feces. Other infected animals may shed avian influenza A viruses in respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids.

People should avoid contact with sick or dead animals, in particular wild birds, and poultry.
People who usually come in direct or close contact with wild birds or sick or dead poultry or other animals must wear recommended personal protective equipment (PPE). Wild birds can be infected with avian influenza A viruses even if they don’t look sick.

Do not touch surfaces or materials contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza A virus infection.