Louisiana Confirms First Human Death From H5N1 Bird Flu in US

The unnamed person was over the age of 65 and had ‘underlying medical conditions,’ officials say.

A colorized electron microscope image shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue), in an image released by the National Institutes of Health on March 26, 2024. CDC/NIAID via AP

Officials in Louisiana on Jan. 6 confirmed the first human death from the H5N1 avian influenza in the United States, weeks after the patient was hospitalized.

The patient, who was not identified, was over the age of 65 and was “reported to have underlying medical conditions,” the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement, adding that the individual contracted H5N1 after being exposed to wild birds and a “non-commercial backyard flock.”