For the first time

Person dies in the USA after bird flu

In the USA, a person has died for the first time after being infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. The person also had other health problems, the health authority of the US state of Louisiana announced on Monday.

The 65-year-old had been in contact with both wild birds and birds in his garden. The authority did not provide any further details. It had already reported in December that the patient had been infected with H5N1 and had fallen seriously ill (see video above). This was also the first person in the USA to have such a severe case.

Low risk for the general population
Avian influenza is currently widespread in wild birds around the world, and many wild mammals are also infected. The virus recently led to outbreaks in poultry and dairy farms in the USA. The extent of the outbreak is still largely unclear due to a lack of data.

The health authorities have recorded mild cases of infection, particularly among employees of such farms. Human-to-human transmission has not yet been detected. The CDC continues to assess the risk for the general population as low. There have recently been around 60 cases in humans, including a child for the first time.

The authority advises people to avoid contact with sick and dead animals. Between 2023 and 2024, 464 deaths from bird flu were reported worldwide, most of them in Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia and Cambodia.