US reports first human death linked to bird flu

A person has died in Louisiana from the avian influenza virus known as H5N1. This is the first virus-related death in the United States. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has confirmed no new H5N1 cases in the state and has found no evidence of human-to-human transmission, indicating the risk to the general public remains low. .

The man contracted the virus from infected and dead birds in his backyard and was hospitalized with the virus in December. They experienced severe respiratory symptoms. This was the first serious case of H5N1 infection in the United States. LDH announces death January 6th And they said they were over 65 years old and had underlying health conditions.

A total of 66 people have tested positive for H5N1 in the United States, according to the report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of them had mild symptoms, such as red eyes, and had handled infected cattle or chickens.

The H5N1 virus, which has killed tens of millions of wild and domestic birds around the world, has been circulating among dairy cows across the United States for almost a year. genetic analysis Samples taken from a person in Louisiana showed that the person was infected with the D1.1 genotype of the virus. This is similar to a virus recently detected in wild birds, but different from the virus circulating in cattle. There is no evidence that the virus is contagious between people.

The analysis also identified several changes that may improve the ability of the virus to bind to cells in the human upper respiratory tract, which largely lacks receptors for most avian influenza viruses. According to the CDC, these changes likely occurred after the person became infected, and each time someone is infected with an avian influenza virus, it is given an opportunity to evolve and become more transmissible between us. Masu. One of the changes was seen in people who became seriously ill with H5N1 in Canada in November.