CDC confirms 1st case of severe bird flu in US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States.

The federal health agency said Wednesday that the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana. No identifying information about the patient was made available.

Genomic data showed the Louisiana patient was infected with a version of the virus recently found to be spreading in wild birds and poultry in the United States, as well as found in some human cases in Canada and Washington, according to the CDC.

This is different from the version of the virus that spreads in dairy cows and some poultry populations in the United States

The Louisiana patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, though an investigation into the source of the illness is ongoing, the CDC said. This is the first case of human avian influenza in the United States linked to backyard flock exposure.

There have been 61 reported human cases of bird flu reported in the United States since April, according to CDC data.

Almost all confirmed cases have had direct contact with infected cattle or livestock. Before the case was confirmed in the Louisiana patient, the cases had been mild and the patients had all recovered after receiving antiviral medication, according to the CDC and state health officials. An earlier case in Missouri was hospitalized, but health officials pointed to other health conditions other than bird flu infection involved in the patient’s hospitalization.

Signs and symptoms infection in humans often includes sore throat, cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle or body aches, fatigue, and shortness of breath, the CDC says. Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps.

Infections can range from no symptoms or mild illness, such as flu-like symptoms, to more severe illness, such as pneumonia, that could require hospitalization, the CDC says.

“The best way to prevent bird flu is to avoid exposure whenever possible. Infected birds shed avian influenza A virus in their saliva, mucus and feces,” the CDC wrote in a news release Wednesday. “Other infected animals may shed avian influenza A virus in respiratory secretions and other body fluids (eg in unpasteurized cow’s milk or ‘raw milk’).”

The CDC said no person-to-person transmission has been detected and the risk to the public is low. But those who work with birds, poultry or cows – or have recreational exposure to them – are at higher risk and should take precautions recommended by the Board of Health.

The United States Department of Agriculture issued a new federal order last week that colostrum samples nationwide will be collected and shared with the department to test for bird flu.

The decision came after the bird flu virus was found in samples of raw milk from a California farm that earlier this week issued a recall of all its raw milk products. The farm was also quarantined by state health officials.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.