News

Louisiana patient suffering “severe illness” from H5N1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says H5N1 has caused a Louisiana patient to have a severe illness, marking the first ever severe human case in the U.S.

According to the CDC, the individual had exposure to sick and dead birds within backyard flocks. The center says the avian influenza strain infecting the person is different than the genotype that’s been detected in dairy cows, poultry, and other mild human cases in the country.

The CDC says no person-to-person spread of the virus has been detected, and this current case does not change CDC’s overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public’s health from H5N1, which remains very low.

An investigation into the infection continues.