Health officials in Louisiana said Monday that an individual has died from the H5N1 bird flu. The death is the first reported among humans in the United States related to the virus.

What You Need To Know

  • Health officials in Louisiana said Monday that an individual has died from the H5N1 bird flu

  • It is the first human death related to the virus in the United States

  • The patient contracted H5N1 after being exposed to wild birds and a non-commercial backyard flock

  • The Louisiana Department of Health said the current public health risk for the general public remains low

The patient, who has not been identified, was hospitalized in December with the first severe illness to be caused by H5N1. The individual was over the age of 65 and had underlying medical conditions, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

The patient contracted H5N1 after being exposed to wild birds and a non-commercial backyard flock, officials said. 

Previous illnesses related to H5N1 in the U.S. have been mild. The vast majority have been among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry and dairy cows.

Since 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 66 bird flu infections. Half of them were in California. 

"While tragic, a death from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death," the CDC said in a statement. "CDC has carefully studied the available information about the person who died in Louisiana and continues to assess that the risk to the general public remains low. Most importantly, no person-to-person transmission spread has been identified."

A bird flu death was not unexpected, virus experts said. There have been more than 950 confirmed bird flu infections globally since 2003, and more than 460 of those people died, according to the World Health Organization.

The Louisiana Department of Health also said the current public health risk for the general public remains low but said people who work with birds, poultry or cows or who have recreational exposure to them are at higher risk. Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry.

The CDC has published a page with prevention resources for people seeking to protect themselves from the virus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.