Severe Case Results in First US Bird Flu Death
The individual who first reported severe bird flu and hospitalization has since succumbed to their illness.
An individual in Louisiana who was detected to have the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the US in December 2024 has become the first patient in the country to die from their illness, the CDC said in a news release.1
“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,” the release said. “Most importantly, no person-to-person transmission spread has been identified. As with the case in Louisiana, most H5 bird flu infections are related to animal-to-human exposures.”
As of Monday, January 6, when the death was reported, a total of 66 human cases of the bird flu were detected in the US in 2024. While this is only the first bird flu-related death and instance of severe illness in the country, history has shown that these avian influenzas have the potential to increase mortality—despite experts relaying that public health risks are low.
There have been a total of 66 human cases of the bird flu detected in the US in 2024. | image credit: Karina / stock.adobe.com
Indeed, outside of the US, bird flu has historically been known to cause alarming mortality trends. With over 950 cases reported in foreign countries, nearly half of those patients ended up dying.1,2 But in the case of the patient in Louisiana, experts believe preexisting health issues also played a role.
READ MORE: H5N1 Bird Flu: A Slowly Looming Public Health Threat
“The patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds,” according to a Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) news release.3
Age and comorbidities are key factors for determining why the Louisiana individual was unable to recover from their illness. With underlying health conditions at the age of 65, decreasing mortality risks becomes challenging for patients and their providers compared with people at less risk. Furthermore, those over 65 are familiar with staying protected against influenza in general.
“Between 70% and 85% of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older, and between 50% and 70% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group,” according to Northwestern Medicine.4
Again, bird flu risk remains minimal across most of the US and human-to-human transmission has yet to be reported. The real focus for epidemiologists—which has been the same since the first 2024 case was reported in the US in March—is to stop the spread among animals before the virus has a chance to spread to humans.
“CDC is continually working closely with state and local partners to conduct active surveillance for H5 cases,” the release said.1 CDC is also “monitoring for changes that might suggest H5 viruses are becoming better adapted to mammals and therefore might spread more easily from animals to humans or humans to humans or cause more severe disease.”
As with various other reports of bird flu in the US throughout this past year, the risk of a major public health crisis is persistently low. Experts continue to emphasize that dairy and poultry workers take the utmost precautions when performing labor, while everyday individuals have been advised simply to avoid wild birds whether they are dead or not.
“If you develop symptoms within 10 days after exposure to sick or dead animals, tell your health care provider that you have been in contact with sick animals and are concerned about avian influenza. This will help them give you appropriate advice on testing and treatment. Stay home and away from others while you have symptoms,” concluded the LDH news release.3
READ MORE: Influenza Resource Center
Don’t get left behind: Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips delivered straight to your inbox.
