Color transmission electron micrograph of H5N1 virus particles
Science Photo Library
One person in Louisiana has died from the bird flu virus known as H5N1. The first known virus-related death in the US. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has not identified any additional cases of H5N1 in the state or found evidence of person-to-person transmission, indicating that the risk to the general public remains low.
The person was hospitalized in December for the virus after contracting it from infected or dead birds in his backyard. They had severe respiratory symptoms. There was a severe case of H5N1 in the US. LDH reported the death January 6 and said they were over 65 and had health conditions.
A total of 66 people in the US have tested positive for H5N1 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most developed mild symptoms, such as red eyes, and worked with infected cattle or chickens.
H5N1, which has killed tens of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide, has been circulating in US dairy cows for nearly a year. Genetic analysis Samples from the person in Louisiana indicate that the person was infected with the D1.1 genotype of the virus, which is similar to viruses recently detected in wild birds, but different from the version circulating in cattle. There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted between people.
The study also identified several changes that could improve the virus’ ability to bind to cells in the upper respiratory tract of humans, which lack receptors for most avian flu viruses. According to the CDC, it is likely that these changes occurred after the person was infected; every time someone gets the bird flu virus, it allows it to evolve and spread better among us. One of the changes was also seen in a person who became seriously ill with H5N1 in Canada in November.
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