A person in Louisiana who tested positive for bird flu has died, the first death in the United States linked to the respiratory virus. A statement from the Louisiana State Health Department showed that the patient was over 65 years old and had underlying medical conditions. No other cases have been found and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, the statement said.
The patient became infected with H5N1 after exposure to non-commercial household chicken flocks and wild birds, the state agency said. The resident was hospitalized in December as the first serious human case of avian influenza in the United States.
Health officials have been on high alert as the H5N1 virus strain has spread across U.S. poultry and dairy farms. While dozens of people have been infected, there is so far no sign that the virus is spreading among the population.