US sees first severe illness case from bird flu as patient hospitalised

The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, believed to have had direct contact with sick or dead birds

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A person in Louisiana has been hospitalised with severe illness from the H5N1 bird flu, marking the first confirmed case of such an infection in the United States.

The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, is believed to have had direct contact with sick or dead birds in a backyard flock. This would be the first reported instance of avian influenza transmission from a backyard flock in the US, a development that CDC’s Demetre Daskalakis called "notable."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the case on Wednesday, as the country continues to intensify its efforts to track the growing bird flu outbreak. There have been 61 confirmed and 7 probable cases of H5N1 among people in the US since the outbreak began.

The individual in Louisiana first tested positive for influenza A, with the sample later identified as H5N1 after further examination by the state lab. Though the CDC has not disclosed specific symptoms or treatment details due to privacy concerns, Daskalakis confirmed the patient was severely ill and hospitalised.

In response to the outbreak, US officials have implemented new measures. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on 6 December that states will now be required to test bulk milk to monitor the spread of the virus among dairy cows.

The first commercial test for H5N1 was also made available by Labcorp on Tuesday, provided a physician’s order is given.

In Delaware, another probable case of bird flu was reported in early December, though confirmatory tests at the CDC could not confirm the H5N1 infection. The CDC noted that the probable case in Delaware does not alter the national risk assessment, which remains low for the general population.

While no human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been detected in the US during this outbreak, experts caution that individuals working with or exposed to infected animals are at higher risk. Precautions such as wearing respirators and seeking testing if symptoms develop are recommended.

H5N1 continues to circulate among wild and domesticated birds, and the CDC is conducting additional genomic sequencing of the virus to understand its evolution and impact.

As of now, millions of doses of H5N1 vaccines are stockpiled in the US, though these vaccines have not yet been authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The US vaccination strategy has not changed following the recent cases.

Officials continue to monitor the situation closely as the outbreak evolves, urging both vigilance and caution, particularly for those with direct exposure to animals.