A person in Louisiana is hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu after coming into contact with sick and dying birds suspected of carrying the virus, state health officials announced Friday.
It is the first human H5N1 case discovered in Louisiana. For now, the case is considered “presumptive” positive until testing is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials say the risk to the public is low, but warn people to stay away from sick or dead birds. A spokesperson for the Louisiana Health Department told Ars that the hospitalized patient had had contact with both backyard and wild birds.
Although the person has been hospitalized, his condition has not been reported. The spokesperson said the department would not comment on the patient's condition due to patient confidentiality and an ongoing public health investigation.
This case is just the latest amid the global and domestic catastrophe of H5N1. The virus has been ravaging wild, backyard and commercial birds in the US since early 2022, spreading to a surprisingly wide range of mammals. In March this year, officials discovered an unprecedented jump into dairy cows, which has since caused a nationwide outbreak. The virus is currently sweeping through California, the nation's largest dairy producer.
To date, at least 845 herds in 16 states have contracted the virus since March, including 630 in California, where the first dairy infections were discovered in late August.
Human cases
At least 60 people in the US have been infected during the viral spread this year. But the new case in Louisiana stands out. So far, almost all human cases have been among poultry and dairy workers — unlike the new case in Louisiana — and almost all have been mild — also unlike the new case. Most cases involved conjunctivitis (pink eye) and/or mild respiratory and flu-like symptoms.
There was a case involving a patient in the hospital in Missouri. However, that person had underlying health conditions and it is unclear whether H5N1 was the cause of their hospitalization or just an incidental finding. It is still unknown how the person contracted the virus. An extensive investigation has shown that there was no exposure to animals or other matters that could explain the infection.
