Officials Say Louisiana Patient Is First Individual In US To Die From Bird Flu

The Washington Post (1/6, Sun) reports Louisiana health officials on Monday said a man from the state died of avian influenza, with the man being the first individual in the US to die from the illness. The “patient, who was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized weeks ago in critical condition with severe respiratory illness related to the H5N1 bird flu virus. The patient, whom people familiar with the investigation have identified as a man, had been in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks on his property, state health officials said in a statement.” The Post adds that the man’s death does not alter the aggregate “assessment by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the immediate risk to the public’s health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low.” The New York Times (1/6, Mandavilli, Anthes) reports there aren’t any indications that H5N1 “is spreading from person to person anywhere in the country, and Louisiana officials have not identified any other cases in the state.”