First Severe Bird Flu Case Hits the US — State of Emergency Declared in Another Area

The initial case of avian influenza A(H5N1) linked to a backyard flock has been reported in the United States.

A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized due to a severe infection of the H5N1 bird flu virus, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirming the virus’s presence on December 13, 2024.

In Sonoma, Hill has released a Western Sandpiper following testing for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.

An investigation is currently being conducted to determine the origin of the H5N1 bird flu infection.

It has been established that the patient had interactions with sick and deceased birds from backyard flocks.

This incident represents the first documented case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States associated with exposure to backyard flocks.

Furthermore, there have been 37 cases linked to dairy herds, 21 related to poultry farms and culling operations, and 2 cases where the source of exposure is still unidentified.