Bird flu has taken its first human victim.
Reports started coming in December from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the U.S.’s 1st severe human case of avian influenza, or bird flu, being taken to the hospital. The case was confirmed on Dec. 13. The victim was over 65 and had underlying health conditions. Officials from the CDC said he got exposed to backyard flock and wild birds.
From April 2024 to now, there have been over 61 human cases of H5N1 bird flu in North America with most of them being reported in California.
Bird flu, which is caused by the influenza A virus, can create diseases and outbreaks in poultry & humans. While most human cases in U.S have been mild, it can evolve from mild to fatal depending on your exposure to sick/infected animals. The most significant symptoms are high fever, conjunctivitis(red eyes), altered consciousness, and seizures. The contagious period is in the first few days of having it. Depending on the person and their symptoms, you can be sick from it for a few days to several weeks. The complications are multi-organ failure, respiratory failure, sepsis, pneumonia, acute kidney injury, and inflammation of the brain.
So far, there aren’t any reports of the virus spreading from human to human in the US, and Louisiana officials haven’t found another case.
