In the United States, a severe case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has been reported for the first time. According to the CDC, a patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with avian influenza and is exhibiting severe symptoms. The patient is suspected to have been exposed to sick or dead poultry on their private property.
The CDC clarified that the poultry in contact with the patient are not commercial and that the individual had no exposure to dairy animals or related products. The Louisiana health department noted that the patient is over 65 years old and has underlying health conditions, increasing their risk.
The ‘D1.1’ virus detected differs from the previously identified B3.13 strain, found in U.S. dairy cows and some poultry or people in contact with them. It is similar to the strain reported in Canadian and Washington state human infection cases and wild bird or poultry-related viruses previously found in the U.S. The CDC is conducting additional genetic analysis.
This year, the H5N1 virus has spread to hundreds of farms in the U.S., with 61 reported human cases since April. Before the Louisiana case, all human cases presented with mild symptoms, and there have been no instances of human-to-human transmission.
On the same day, California declared a state of emergency in response to the avian influenza outbreak. Although no severe cases have emerged in California, it accounts for 34 of the 61 cases reported nationwide this year.