Written by AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe
NEW YORK (AP) The first recorded bird flu death in the United States occurred in Louisiana, where a patient was admitted to the hospital due to severe respiratory symptoms.
The fatality was declared by state health officials on Monday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified that it was the first bird flu-related death in the country.
According to health officials, the individual was over 65, had preexisting medical issues, and had come into contact with dead and ill birds from a backyard flock. Additionally, they added that a genetic investigation revealed that the patient may have had a mutation in the bird flu virus that caused the more severe disease.
Not much else about the individual has been revealed.
Although there have been 66 confirmed cases of bird flu in the United States since March, the majority of these cases have been found in farmworkers who have been exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows.
According to viral scientists, a bird flu death was not surprising. The World Health Organization reports that since 2003, there have been over 950 confirmed cases of bird flu worldwide, with over 460 of those cases resulting in death.
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, stated that the bird flu virus poses a significant concern and has a history of being fatal. This serves only as a heartbreaking reminder of it.
According to Nuzzo, a Canadian kid recently contracted an infection that left them seriously ill. According to her, scientists are still attempting to assess the risks posed by the present strain of the virus and identify the factors that make certain persons more vulnerable to its effects than others.
According to her, the mere fact that we have observed mild cases does not guarantee that they would remain so in the future.
Although the Louisiana death was terrible, CDC officials stated in a statement that there are no alarming virologic changes that are currently spreading in wild cows, poultry, or birds that would increase the risk to human health.
Health experts are still unsure of how the virus infected the adult in Missouri and the toddler in California in two recent U.S. cases. It was not thought to be a mystery where the Louisiana person’s sickness came from. However, the CDC said it was the first human case in the United States connected to exposure to backyard birds.
U.S. officials have stated that they have no proof that the virus is spreading from person to person, and Louisiana officials say they are not aware of any additional cases in their state.
Among wild birds, chickens, cows, and other animals, the H5N1 bird flu has been spreading extensively. According to officials, people are more likely to be exposed to it and maybe contract it as a result of its increasing environmental prevalence.
Officials are still advising anyone who comes into touch with sick or dead animals to take measures, such as handling poultry with gloves and protective eye and respiratory gear.
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