First Serious Case of Avian Flu in Humans Recorded in the U.S.
The United States has reported its first serious case of avian influenza in a human, specifically caused by the A/H1N virus. The patient, who resides in Louisiana, contracted the infection after coming into contact with infected birds in his backyard. This case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which emphasized that there has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. The CDC maintains that the immediate public health risk from H5N1 remains low.
Since April 2024, a total of 61 cases of avian influenza have been documented in humans across the United States. Genetic analysis revealed that the virus affecting the Louisiana patient is genotype D1.1, which is linked to other recent cases in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., as well as cases in British Columbia and Washington. This genotype differs from the B3.13 virus found in dairy cows and some poultry outbreaks.
The CDC noted that the serious nature of this case underscores the potential risk posed by both commercial poultry and backyard flocks, as wild birds can also be a source of exposure to the virus. Experts are increasingly concerned about the rising number of mammal infections, which could lead to mutations allowing for human-to-human transmission, although such cases remain exceedingly rare.
