What to know as the US confirms its first death – NBC Chicago

The first death from bird flu in the United States has been announced: a person in Louisiana who was hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms.

Health officials said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical conditions and had contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. They also said genetic analysis suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to more severe illness.

Since March, at least 66 bird flu infections have been reported in the United States, but previous illnesses were mild and most were detected among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows. In two cases — an adult in Missouri and a child in California — health officials have not determined how they caught it.

In the Midwest, cases have been confirmed in Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is bird flu?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avian influenza is “an illness caused by the avian influenza A virus that is commonly spread between birds.”

Who can get bird flu?

Avian flu has been spreading for years among wild birds, chickens, turkeys and many other animals. It was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in March.

Although the virus does not usually infect humans, a subtype, known as H5, is spreading worldwide in wild birds and causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows in the United States. This particular strain, known as H5N1, has also led to human infections.

A total of six subtypes of avian flu viruses have infected humans, according to the CDC. They include: H3, H5, H6, H7, H9 and H10.

CDC officials said avian flu remains primarily an animal health problem and the risk to the general public remains low. There has been no documented spread of the virus from person to person, said Dr. Demeter Daskalakis of the CDC.

What about pets?

Although cases of infection are rare, cats also seem particularly susceptible to the avian influenza virus, or type A H5N1. Even before the bovine outbreak, there were feline cases linked to wild birds or poultry. Since March, dozens of cats have caught the virus. These include barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild.

A voluntary recall has been issued for a line of raw and frozen pet foods after a cat died from bird flu, a case that Oregon authorities linked to the feline’s contaminated food.

Dogs seem less vulnerable than cats, but they should only eat well-cooked foods, Bailey said.

How is bird flu transmitted?

When a person contracts bird flu, it is most often through direct contact with infected birds or other animals, the CDC says.

While no known human-to-human spread of the virus has been reported in the currently circulating cases, there have been a few such cases in years past, but even then the cases were limited.

“Spread of the avian influenza virus from an infected person to a close contact has occurred rarely in other countries in the past, and when it has occurred it has been limited and not sustained, and not has not spread beyond close contact,” the CDC said. reported.

How worried should you be?

Genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated in the Louisiana patient, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Scientists believe the mutations could allow the virus to better bind to receptors in humans’ upper respiratory tracts – which they say is concerning but not a cause for concern.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota, likened this compelling interaction to a lock and key. To enter a cell, the virus must have a key that turns the lock, and this discovery means the virus could change to have a key that could work.

“Is this an indication that we may be closer to seeing a virus that is easily transmissible between people? No,” Osterholm said. “Right now, it’s a key in the lock, but it doesn’t open the door.”

The CDC said its findings on mutations were “concerning” but that the risk of an outbreak to the general public “has not changed and remains low.”

Still, Osterholm said, scientists should continue to carefully monitor what’s happening with mutations.

“There will be other flu pandemics and they could be much worse than what we saw with COVID,” he said. “We know that the pandemic’s clock is ticking. We just don’t know what time it is.

“Virus hunter” Mary Rodgers, a research associate at Abbott, agrees.

“We’ve definitely been keeping an eye on H5N1, which is avian flu, particularly in the United States, because we’re seeing more and more human cases lately,” Rodgers told NBC Chicago. “It’s mostly people who are at risk because they interact with livestock… but that could always change. And that’s why we need to keep an eye on this as people get cases. “

Some experts say the signs are pointing in the wrong direction.

“The light goes from green to orange,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies infectious diseases, told NBC News. “So many signs are pointing in the wrong direction.”

What are the symptoms of bird flu?

According to the CDC, symptoms generally range from no symptoms to mild symptoms, although some may experience more moderate to severe complications.

The most common symptom associated with recent infections is redness of the eyes.

Mild signs and symptoms may include:

• redness and irritation of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
• mild fever (temperature of 100ºF (37.8ºC) or higher) or feeling feverish
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body pain
• headache
• fatigue

Less common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

Signs and symptoms of moderate to severe illness

• high fever
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• altered consciousness
• convulsions

Symptoms in pets

Cats sick with bird flu may suffer from loss of appetite, lethargy and fever.

If your cat is usually playful and likes to look out the window, but sleeps all the time or hides from you, take note,” said Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “There’s something wrong.”

They may have reddened or inflamed eyes and discharge from the eyes and nose. They may have difficulty breathing, tremors or seizures.

If your cat is sick, call your veterinary clinic and keep him away from anyone with a weakened immune system.

How is it treated?

There are antiviral flu medications that can treat infections, but those who become infected should be treated as quickly as possible, experts say. Treatments work best if given within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.