First US H5N1 Bird Flu Death Confirmed

LU. WELL, WE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVING THE BIRD FLU, INCLUDING A CAT FOOD RECALL LINKED TO A PET IN OREGON. ALL OF THIS IS RAISING NEW CONCERNS ABOUT THE OUTBREAK. AND HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DOCTOR SIMONE WILDES, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH? DOCTOR WILDES ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO ME. WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. CAT FOOD CONTAMINATION. IT’S JUST THE LATEST SIGN THAT THIS OUTBREAK IS EVOLVING. NOW, HOW CONCERNING IS THIS? YES, THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO US IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THIS THIS INDOOR CAT DIED FROM BIRD FLU AFTER EATING RAW FOOD THAT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH BIRD FLU. HENCE THE RECALL. THIS REALLY SHOULD SERVE AS A REMINDER TO ALL THOSE WITH PETS THAT YOU SHOULD AVOID GIVING YOUR PETS RAW MILK AND RAW MEAT, ESPECIALLY NOW AS WE’RE HAVING THIS BIRD FLU OUTBREAK. ABSOLUTELY. WE KNOW EARLIER THIS MONTH, DOCTOR WILDES, A LOUISIANA RESIDENT, BECAME THE FIRST SEVERE HUMAN CASE OF BIRD FLU IN THE COUNTRY. I DON’T WANT TO BE ALARMIST HERE. WE ALSO WANT TO PUT THINGS IN CONTEXT. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL RISK TO HUMANS RIGHT NOW? SO RIGHT NOW I WILL SAY THAT BIRD FLU IS MAINLY AN INFECTION THAT AFFECTS ANIMALS. SO VERY LOW RISK TO HUMANS. WHEN HUMANS DO GET IT, IT’S USUALLY MILD CASE EXCEPT WITH THE LOUISIANA CASE, WHICH IS THE FIRST VERY SEVERE CASE. SO AGAIN YOU KNOW THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS FOR HUMANS RIGHT NOW VERY LOW RISK. BUT OF COURSE WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT IT. AND AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THING THAT YOU ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIRD FLU? WELL, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AS I SEE THE CASES INCREASE RIGHT NOW, WE’RE UP TO 66 CASES WITH MOST OF THE CASES IN CALIFORNIA AND COLORADO. WHAT I’M WATCHING FOR IS, IS THERE ANY HUMAN TO HUMAN TRANSMISSION? THERE HAS BEEN NONE SEEN SO FAR IN THE US OR GLOBALLY, BUT I’M KEEPING MY EYES FOCUSED ON THAT. AND ALSO HOW SEVERELY ILL PEOPLE WILL BE IN CASE THAT SHOULD HAPPEN. AND I WILL SAY WHILE I WAIT, I’M PREPARING TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PATIENTS IN CASE I HAPPEN TO SEE THEM HERE IN THE HOSPITAL. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR WILES

America’s first bird flu death reported in Louisiana

The first person to have a severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. This is the first human death from bird flu in the U.S.The person, who was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with the flu after exposure to a backyard flock of birds and to wild birds.Louisiana health officials said that their investigation found no other human cases linked to this person’s infection.The patient was infected with the D1.1 clade of the bird flu virus, a strain that is circulating in wild bird and poultry. It’s different from the variant that’s circulating in dairy cattle.The CDC reported in late December that a genetic analysis of the virus that infected the patient found changes expected to enhance its ability to infect the upper airways of humans and spread more easily from person to person. Those same changes were not seen in the birds the person had been exposed to, officials said, indicating that they had developed in the person after they were infected.Although the overall risk to the public remains low, people who keep chickens and other birds in their backyards are at higher risk for bird flu, as are workers on dairy and poultry farms.People who work with animals, or who have been in contact with sick or dead animals or their droppings, should watch for breathing problems and red, infected eyes for 10 days after exposure. If they develop symptoms, they should tell their health care provider about their recent exposure.Other ways to stay safe include:Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings, and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces.Do not eat uncooked or undercooked food. Cook poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature, and prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.Avoid uncooked food products such as unpasteurized raw milk or cheeses from animals that have a suspected or confirmed infection.If you work on poultry or dairy farms, talk to a health care provider about getting your seasonal flu vaccination. It will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, but it can reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.Report dead or sick birds or animals to the US Department of Agriculture toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.This is a developing story and will be updated.

The first person to have a severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. This is the first human death from bird flu in the U.S.

The person, who was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with the flu after exposure to a backyard flock of birds and to wild birds.

Louisiana health officials said that their investigation found no other human cases linked to this person’s infection.

The patient was infected with the D1.1 clade of the bird flu virus, a strain that is circulating in wild bird and poultry. It’s different from the variant that’s circulating in dairy cattle.

The CDC reported in late December that a genetic analysis of the virus that infected the patient found changes expected to enhance its ability to infect the upper airways of humans and spread more easily from person to person. Those same changes were not seen in the birds the person had been exposed to, officials said, indicating that they had developed in the person after they were infected.

Although the overall risk to the public remains low, people who keep chickens and other birds in their backyards are at higher risk for bird flu, as are workers on dairy and poultry farms.

People who work with animals, or who have been in contact with sick or dead animals or their droppings, should watch for breathing problems and red, infected eyes for 10 days after exposure. If they develop symptoms, they should tell their health care provider about their recent exposure.

Other ways to stay safe include:

Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings, and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.
Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces.
Do not eat uncooked or undercooked food. Cook poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature, and prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.
Avoid uncooked food products such as unpasteurized raw milk or cheeses from animals that have a suspected or confirmed infection.
If you work on poultry or dairy farms, talk to a health care provider about getting your seasonal flu vaccination. It will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, but it can reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.
Report dead or sick birds or animals to the US Department of Agriculture toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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