Louisiana Patient’s Death From Bird Flu Is the First in US

  • Victim was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions
  • US has 66 confirmed human cases since outbreak began, CDC says

Health officials have been on high alert as the H5N1 strain of the virus has spread throughout US poultry and dairy farms.

Photographer: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

A patient in Louisiana who tested positive for bird flu has died, marking the first US fatality linked to the respiratory virus.

The patient was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions, according to a statement from the Louisiana Department of Health. No additional cases have been identified and there’s no evidence of human-to-human transmission, it said.