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A person in Louisiana who was hospitalise with a severe case of bird flu has died .
The hospitalization insurance , firstannounced Dec. 13 , mark the first severe showcase of H5N1 shuttlecock flu in the United States . H5N1 is a subtype of bird flu that ’s been circulating among dotty birds and fowl in the U.S. since 2021 , and in 2024 , it was notice indairy cows for the first time . Since then , the virus hasinfected at least 66 peoplein the nation , mainly those who were directly exposed to infect cows or poultry .
H5N1 is a subtype of bird flu that has sickened more than 60 people in the U.S. in the last year.
In the case of the patient in Louisiana , the exact reference of the infection was ab initio unsung . However , an investigating uncovered that the person fell inauspicious after exposure to a noncommercial backyard pile of Bronx cheer , as well as wild bird , according to a statement from theLouisiana Department of Health(LDH ) .
" LDH ’s extensive public wellness investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person - to - person transmission , " the department ’s statement add together . " This patient role persist the only human instance of H5N1 in Louisiana . "
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The patient was over the age of 65 and had underlying medical condition , which may have made them more probable to develop a severe bird flu event . To preserve patient confidentiality and show regard for the patient ’s family , the department will not be share further update about the case .
In its initial announcement about the lawsuit , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) noted that the virus that sickened the Louisiana patient match a strain circulating in birds — called the D1.1 genotype — not the one spread among cows , foretell the B3.13 genotype .
Separately , a teenage girl in Canada also of late caught the D1.1 genotype and require intensive care in a hospital . She ’s since recovered from the infection , but a recent study published inThe New England Journal of Medicinepinpointed several interest mutations in the computer virus that infected her . These mutations may have boosted the germ ’s ability to infect humankind and to cause severe malady .
Acommentary published in the same journalnoted that it ’s unreadable whether these mutations were already present when the teen became taint or if they go forth as the computer virus replicated in her body . Nonetheless , the face highlight the continued motivation to supervise the virus ’s spreading to see if such mutation are becoming more stock , the commentary authors write .
" While the current public health risk for the general world continue miserable , mass who work with birds , poultry or cows , or have amateur picture to them , are at higher hazard [ of catching H5N1 ] , " LDH officials noted in the statement .
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" The best elbow room to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid source of pic , " they added . " That means avoiding direct liaison with wild wench and other animals infect with or suspect to be infected with bird flu virus . " Consuming products made with naked Milk River could also pose a risk of infection , health official have previously discourage .
If you ’ve been expose to potentially taint animals and develop respiratory symptoms or eye inflammation within 10 days , the department recommend informing your health tending provider so they can provide the appropriate testing and treatment . Antiviral drug used to regale seasonal influenza — such as oseltamivir ( Tamiflu ) — have been used to cover bird flu .
Historically , of the more than900 people known to have caught H5N1 globally , more than one-half have died . These old deaths affected people outside the U.S. and ask H5N1 strains with different genetic traitsthat might help explain their asperity .
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to declare oneself medical advice .
