First Bird Flu Death In US: 66-Yr-Old Dies Of H5N1 Virus As US Gears Up To Contain Spread

Outside the United States, more than 950 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported to the World Health Organization; about half of those have resulted in death, the CDC noted.

Representational image.

Source : Pixabay

Bird Flu: A US man aged 66 has died after battling a bird flu infection for almost three weeks, the country’s apex health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has reported.  

The CDC announcement read: "CDC is saddened by Louisiana's report that a person previously hospitalised with severe avian influenza A (H5N1) illness (‘H5N1 bird flu’) has passed away.” Louisiana health officials announced the death on Monday. The patient had underlying medical problems and had also been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. Tests show the case involved a mutated version of H5N1 that helps it bind to human upper respiratory cells.

The US health authority states that while the death from H5N1 bird flu is tragic, it is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death.

50% Rate of Fatality?

The CDC reports that, as of January 6, 2025, there have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022. This is the first person in the United States who has died as a result of an H5N1 infection. The patient's genetic analysis suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to more severe illness.

Outside the United States, more than 950 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported to the World Health Organization; about half of those have resulted in death, the CDC noted.

The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. Virologists say that H5N1 is just one mutation away from developing the ability to transmit person-to-person — sparking pandemic fears.

The CDC said it “has carefully studied the available information about the person who died in Louisiana and continues to assess that the risk to the general public remains low”. 

“...No person-to-person transmission spread has been identified… However, people with job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds or other animals are at greater risk of infection,” it noted.

How Bird Flu Spreads From Infected Animals To Humans

1. Touching Infected cattle or birds
2. Petting an infected bird
3. Touching droppings or bedding 
4. Killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking

Is It Safe To Consume Eggs, Chicken Meat Etc?

Bird flu does not spread through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak of bird flu, say virologists. So, there is no advisory to people to stop consuming poultry items as yet.

Gearing Up For Likely Spread

The Sun, a UK daily, reports that Britain has secured five million doses of the H5 bird flu vaccine to prepare for a possible global pandemic. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced this on January 3. The jabs, made in Liverpool by an Australian lab, are being stockpiled in case H5N1 bird flu adapts to spread between humans.

How Many Human Infections So Far? What Are Their Sources?

The H5N1 strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus, or bird flu, had infected 65 humans in 10 states of the US by the end of December 2024. Exposures in 39 patients were linked to cattle, 23 to poultry farms and culling operations, and one to a backyard flock. The sources of two cases remain unknown.

The writer is a senior independent journalist