US confirms first case of severe bird flu, California declares state of emergency – National

The United States reported its first serious human case of bird flu on Wednesday, involving a Louisiana resident, as California declared a state of emergency to deal with the escalating outbreak.

The Louisiana patient was hospitalized in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected flock in the backyard, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The case, confirmed on December 13, is the first in the country linked to serious illness from bird flu.

“This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock,” the CDC said in a statement.

When the CDC confirmed the bird flu case, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared state of emergency on Wednesday, describing it as a precautionary measure to help limit the spread of the virus.

To date, no person-to-person spread of the virus has been found in California, and nearly all infected individuals have been exposed to infected cattle, the statement said.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure that state agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak. Building on California’s testing and surveillance system—the largest in the nation—we are committed to to further protect public health, support our agricultural industry and ensure that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information. While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” said Newsom in a statement.

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Since April, a total of 61 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported in the United States. The virus has spread to 16 states among dairy cattle after its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March.

The recent case of bird flu in Louisiana highlights the ongoing spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus, with genome data showing the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype, the CDC said. This genotype has been associated with recent detections in wild birds and poultry throughout the United States, as well as human cases in British Columbia.

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On November 3, Canada’s Public Health Agency confirmed that a teenager had contracted a human case of bird flu, caused by the influenza A (H5N1) virus. It marked the first domestically acquired human case of bird flu in Canada. Per Nov. 25, the province reported that the teenager remains in critical condition.

Despite this latest case in Louisiana, the CDC maintains that the overall public health risk from H5N1 remains low. In Canada, the risk also remains low.

While there have been several outbreaks of bird flu on dairy farms in several states, the virus has not been detected on dairy farms anywhere in Canada.

Human-to-human transmission of H5N1 — a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza — is rare with no evidence of ongoing transmission, experts say. The majority of human cases in the United States and around the world have been due to contact with infected birds, livestock or wildlife.

— With files from the Canadian Press and Reuters

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