An elderly patient in Louisiana is in “critical condition” with severe avian influenza, US authorities announced Wednesday, the first serious human case in the country as fears grow of a possible bird flu pandemic.
The new case brings the total number of infections in the United States during the current 2024 outbreak to 61, as California declared an emergency in order to ramp up its response.
Prior patients experienced mild symptoms and recovered at home. But the severity of the Louisiana case has heightened alarm, echoing similar cases worldwide. Last month, a teenager in Canada was also hospitalised with a severe case of bird flu.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Louisiana patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
“The patient is experiencing severe respiratory illness related to H5N1 infection and is currently hospitalised in critical condition,” the Louisiana health department said in a statement, adding the person has underlying medical conditions and is over the age of 65.