US Louisiana reports first human death in US from bird flu - Patient was over age 65 and reported to have underlying medical conditions, state health department said

Image of avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles. Photograph: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/AFP/Getty Images

A patient in Louisiana has become the first human in the US to die of bird flu.

The Louisiana department of health reported on Monday afternoon that a patient who had been hospitalized in the state with the first human case of avian influenza has now died.

The patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the department announced in a statement.

The patient contracted bird flu, officially known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.

The Louisiana department of health’s extensive public health investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana, the LDH added.

In the statement, the department “expresses its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one”.

It added that patient confidentiality and respect for the family meant there would not be further updates about the patient from that authority. The patient has not been named.

The department added that “while the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk. The best way to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid sources of exposure. That means avoiding direct contact with wild birds and other animals infected with or suspected to be infected with bird flu viruses.”

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[didelphigina]

My friend's state's really not having a good starting year/first month.

 

[Megaton Punch]

OH GOD IT'S KILLING HEALTHY YOUNG GERIATRIC LUNG CANCER PATIENTS

MASTER, WHICH BUGS MUST I EAT TO MAKE THE FEAR GO AWAY

 

[isalaide]

The old and the sick will die; nature is healing itself.

 

[AnsemSoD1]

OH GOD IT'S KILLING HEALTHY YOUNG GERIATRIC LUNG CANCER PATIENTS

MASTER, WHICH BUGS MUST I EAT TO MAKE THE FEAR GO AWAY

Literal nothingburger of an article

 

[Mao Hao Hao]

The patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions

So literally anything could have killed this guy, he just happened to have this get him first. Unless a healthy, fit, Olympic level athlete dies from this exclusively, there is no point in worrying or caring at all about it being around. It's turning into another strain of the normal kind of flu, which kills dozens of old people every year but the news never screeches about that.

 

[Lone MacReady II]

An over 65 year old comorbidity patient dies of nuCoof#379? Better lock the nation's healthy down again... Better unconstitutionally and tyrannically shutter mom and pop businesses, mortally wounding the last of America's middle class in the process. Surely the Bankerberg's 'Great Taking' can continue just a little bit longer right?

 

[Fatpacks]

Surely the Bankerberg's 'Great Taking' can continue just a little bit longer right?

Our punishment will continue whether we like it or not. No matter how much you say "DO NOT COMPLY" TPTB will always get what they want. Only the rich and powerful as well as their billions of sycophantic followers will make it out by the end of this round.

 

[Caralho]

 

[MadStan]

Until it can spread from Human to Human, this disease is of no real concern. And if through mutation it spreads human to human, it has a good chance of sacrificing some of its lethal traits in exchange for that ability.

 

[Soycast Guy]

I wonder how fat the patient was.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

I'm looking forward to wfh and getting paid for doing nothing.

Might as well make lemons into lemonade

 

[High-Fructose Corn Syrup]

I wonder how fat the patient was.

Probably very

 

[DefCon Dumb]

Completely within the realm of expectations considering age and the fact of pre-existing conditions.

As the US and other nations see more cases, more deaths will come with that and MOST will be people considered high risk patients. Hell, the medically frail can and do die after catching head colds.

The thing to watch for, as mentioned upthread, is cases where humans infect other humans rather than birds or other mammals infecting most human cases.

And yes, while it’s not guaranteed, most initially nasty flu strains have become milder by the time they readily infect people.

This may be worth it’s own thread soon but the one to watch now is the surprisingly nasty Human MetaPneumo Virus outbreak in China.

It’s similar to coronaviruses and generally results in cold/flu like illness, an annoyance rather than anything serious for most.

Northern China is being slammed with cases right now and official give. statements don’t match the visuals from hospitals in several areas?

I’m not saying this is going to turn into something really nasty but this is Chiba and they inexplicably lie about this shit… as we saw with SARD and CoVD. I suspect they’re lying again.

Also, can’t yet confirm but it may have spread to India.

 

[MadStan]

Completely within the realm of expectations considering age and the fact of pre-existing conditions.

As the US and other nations see more cases, more deaths will come with that and MOST will be people considered high risk patients. Hell, the medically frail can and do die after catching head colds.

The thing to watch for, as mentioned upthread, is cases where humans infect other humans rather than birds or other mammals infecting most human cases.

And yes, while it’s not guaranteed, most initially nasty flu strains have become milder by the time they readily infect people.

This may be worth it’s own thread soon but the one to watch now is the surprisingly nasty Human MetaPneumo Virus outbreak in China.

It’s similar to coronaviruses and generally results in cold/flu like illness, an annoyance rather than anything serious for most.

Northern China is being slammed with cases right now and official give. statements don’t match the visuals from hospitals in several areas?

I’m not saying this is going to turn into something really nasty but this is Chiba and they inexplicably lie about this shit… as we saw with SARD and CoVD. I suspect they’re lying again.

Also, can’t yet confirm but it may have spread to India.

Doesn’t really matter the age, birdflu has a good mortality rate. But again, until it’s tranmissible between humans it really isn’t a big deal.

 

[Angry Alt Right Nerd]

So literally anything could have killed this guy, he just happened to have this get him first. Unless a healthy, fit, Olympic level athlete dies from this exclusively, there is no point in worrying or caring at all about it being around. It's turning into another strain of the normal kind of flu, which kills dozens of old people every year but the news never screeches about that.

No, bird flu has a 50% mortality rate for everyone, it's a completely different beast from covid and we are probably all fucked if it becomes as contagious.

 

[Town Drunk]

No, bird flu has a 50% mortality rate for everyone, it's a completely different beast from covid and we are probably all fucked if it becomes as contagious.

a patient who had been hospitalized in the state with the first human case of avian influenza has now died. Had bird Flu, died. Just like where people who had covid and died in car crashes had were covid related deaths.

A quick internet search confirms this is the first death, of 66 confirmed cases in the US. Even using biased sources that fear monger. Best I could find was worldwide data, with this disclaimer:

Between 2003 and November 2024, the World Health Organization has recorded 948 cases of confirmed H5N1 influenza, leading to 464 deaths.[2] The true fatality rate may be lower because some cases with mild symptoms may not have been identified as H5N1.[3]

Either way, I'm not gonna shit my pants in panic over this.

 

[Mao Hao Hao]

No, bird flu has a 50% mortality rate for everyone, it's a completely different beast from covid and we are probably all fucked if it becomes as contagious.

a patient who had been hospitalized in the state with the first human case of avian influenza has now died. Had bird Flu, died. Just like where people who had covid and died in car crashes had were covid related deaths.

A quick internet search confirms this is the first death, of 66 confirmed cases in the US. Even using biased sources that fear monger. Best I could find was worldwide data, with this disclaimer:

Between 2003 and November 2024, the World Health Organization has recorded 948 cases of confirmed H5N1 influenza, leading to 464 deaths.[2] The true fatality rate may be lower because some cases with mild symptoms may not have been identified as H5N1.[3]

Either way, I'm not gonna shit my pants in panic over this.

Plus, they don't say what the average age of the deaths is in that article. I'm betting the majority of the deaths have come from people over 60 and those who are compromised in some way. I haven't found any sources yet that show someone young and healthy dying from this (and in a place that isn't horrifically polluted like China etc which would cause even healthy people to be bogged down immunity wise). And, as others have said, it's still not communicable between humans, so its spread is limited.