By IDSE News Staff
A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 virus infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the avian flu virus in the United States and the first linked to a backyard flock, according to the CDC.
Since April 2024, there have been 61 human cases of avian flu reported in the United States, but all have been mild.
Partial viral genome data of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that infected the Louisiana patient show that it belongs to the D1.1 genotype related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in U.S. wild birds and poultry and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington. This H5N1 bird flu genotype is different from the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, sporadic human cases in multiple states, and some poultry outbreaks in the United States, the CDC said in a statement.
Additional genomic sequencing and efforts to isolate virus from clinical specimens from the patient in Louisiana are underway at the CDC.
The patient appears to have had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, underscoring the fact that not just people who work in commercial poultry and dairy operations need to be concerned. People who work with or hunt wild birds and those who have backyard flocks should be aware that they are potential sources of exposure, the agency said. People with work or recreational exposures to infected animals are at higher risk for infection and should follow the CDC's recommended precautions when around animals that are infected or potentially infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus. This means backyard flock owners, hunters and other bird enthusiasts also should take precautions.
There still has not been any person-to-person spread of avian flu, and the case does not change the CDC's overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public's health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low.
The virus has spread in 16 states among dairy cattle, following its first detection in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.
California has already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the nation to respond to the outbreak. The emergency proclamation will provide state and local agencies with additional flexibility around staffing, contracting and other rules to support California’s evolving response, the governor’s office said.
California has mobilized a comprehensive cross-agency response to bird flu in dairy cattle and poultry farms to minimize farm worker exposures, reduce raw dairy product contamination, and mitigate the spread of the virus. The state has enlisted local, state and federal government technical and operational expertise to support all facets of the response; worked to educate the public, health professionals, employers and workers on prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of exposure to bird flu; provided comprehensive information for employers and workers on personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements; and distributed millions of pieces of PPE to high-risk workers at dairy farms.
Officials have also been working closely with the CDC, FDA, Department of Agriculture, and local health and agricultural officials, as part of a whole-of-government effort to coordinate timely surveillance and investigation of potential cases, the governor said.
