Bird flu jumps from birds to human in Louisiana; patient hospitalized
A person in Louisiana is hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu after having contact with sick and dying birds suspected of carrying the virus, state health officials announced Friday.
It is the first human H5N1 case detected in Louisiana. For now, the case is considered a "presumptive" positive until testing is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials say that the risk to the public is low but caution people to stay away from any sick or dead birds. A spokesperson for Louisiana's health department told Ars that the hospitalized patient had contact with both backyard and wild birds.
Although the person has been hospitalized, their condition was not reported. The spokesperson said the department would not comment on the patient's condition due to patient confidentiality and an ongoing public health investigation.