Bird Flu Case:One person has died of H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana, America. This is the first death related to bird flu in the country. The 65-year-old man was admitted to the hospital on December 13. He already had some serious health problems, which further increased his risk of dying from bird flu.
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) confirmed that the man became ill after coming in contact with a flock of wild birds that were at his home. The Health Department said after investigation that no evidence of human-to-human or other cases of H5N1 has been found. This case is the only case so far in Louisiana.
H5N1 bird flu spreads
The H5N1 bird flu outbreak has spread among wild birds and chickens in the US since 2021. In the year 2024, this virus was found for the first time in dairy cows. H5N1 has since infected at least 66 people in the US, most of whom came in direct contact with infected cows or chickens. This type of virus matched the D1.1 genotype spreading in birds and not the B3.13 genotype spreading in cows.
H5N1 infection in mammals and other animals
The outbreak of the H5N1 virus during 2022 was not limited to birds only, but infection was also seen in foxes, cats, dogs, and zoo mammals. HPAI H5N1 viruses have also been detected in various animals in several US states and Canada, including foxes, mink, and bobcats.
Apart from this, countries like Spain and China have also reported cases of H5N1 infection among workers working in poultry farms. There were two cases of H5N1 infection in poultry workers in Spain during 2022, one of which was asymptomatic.
H5N1 virus outbreak in Hong Kong
In 1997, an outbreak of H5N1 virus was seen in Hong Kong. According to the report of NLM, the official website of the US government, this virus infected 18 people for the first time, out of which six people died. This was the first time that the H5N1 virus had infected humans, making the threat of this virus even deeper.
H5N1 virus and its way of spreading
The infection of H5N1 virus spread mainly through birds, which reached humans from wild birds and poultry. When the virus was first found in Hong Kong, it spread rapidly among chickens and other poultry. After this, incidents of infection in humans came to light. The H5N1 virus can be contracted by working with or touching infected birds. Thus this virus spreads rapidly in poultry markets and farms.
Steps to destroy poultry farms
To prevent and eliminate the spread of the virus, all poultry markets and chicken farms in Hong Kong were closed and cleaned in December 1997. This step proved to be very important at that time, because through it further spread of the virus could be prevented.
Climate change and the challenge of disease control
The spread of the H5N1 virus to humans through contact with mammals and poultry farms has become even more worrying due to climate change and environmental changes. This phenomenon is not limited to America only, but its impact is being seen in different countries also.
Also read: Bird Flu Death: Dangerous! First death due to bird flu in America, person was infected with H5N1 virus
