Southern State Reports First Human Bird Flu Death

We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH),  a person with the highly pathogenic avian influenza — aka H5N1, aka the bird flu — in the United States has died. It’s the first known occurrence of a death from the flu in the U.S. While other details have not been released at this time, we do know that the person was hospitalized in Louisiana. He or she was said to be 65 years old and had multiple underlying health issues. The LDH said the person contracted the disease “after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.” 

In a public statement, the department also said: 

LDH’s extensive public health investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana. 

The Department expresses its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one. Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient. 

While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk. 

The best way to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid sources of exposure. That means avoiding direct contact with wild birds and other animals infected with or suspected to be infected with bird flu viruses. 

The CDC confirmed the “first severe case” of the bird flu in the United States in mid December, stating that the patient was hospitalized in Louisiana. “While an investigation into the source of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.” 

At that time, the agency also reported that there had been 61 known human cases of the bird flu recorded since April 2024, though all of them have been mild. 

The CDC recommends avoiding handling sick or dead animals, especially poultry, or wearing protective equipment if you must handle sick or dead birds. It also recommends avoiding touching surfaces, like bedding litter, that has been “contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza A virus infection.”   

In addition, the LDH suggests keeping your pets away from dead or sick animals, not eating raw or undercooked poultry or bird products, and getting a seasonal flu vaccine to “reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.” 

As someone who raises birds, I have many opinions on this topic, but I’ll keep them to myself for now and let the news speak for itself. I’m sure we’ll hear much more about this in the days and weeks to come, and my colleagues and I will cover it all for you here at PJ Media. We’d love for you to join us for this and all the other stories, both serious and fun, that we’ll be taking on in 2025.  

Our VIPs are the lifeblood of what we do, and they invest in our mission — plus they receive some great rewards, including exclusive content, podcasts, an ad-free experience, and commenting privileges. Sign up to become a VIP today! It just takes a minute.