First US bird flu death reported in Louisiana

A Louisiana patient who had been hospitalized with severe bird flu has died, the first such death in the United States, state health officials reported Monday.

The patient was older than 65 and had underlying health conditions, officials said. The individual was infected with the avian influenza virus, H5N1, after exposure to a backyard flock and wild birds.

There are no signs the virus is spreading from person to person in the country, and Louisiana officials have not identified any other cases in the state. Pasteurized dairy products remain safe for consumption.

“I still think the risk remains low,” said Dr. Diego Diel, a virologist at Cornell University.

“However, it is important that people remain vigilant and avoid contact with sick animals, sick poultry, sick dairy cattle, and also avoid contact with wild birds,” he added.

The news follows a report that the patient carried mutations that could help the virus infect people more easily.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late last month that the mutations were not present in virus samples taken from the backyard flock, suggesting they developed in the patient at as the disease progressed.