The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the US (Picture: Getty Images)
A patient has been hospitalized with the first confirmed severe bird flu case in the US.
The case was confirmed on Friday and announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today.
No details on the patient, who is at a hospital in Louisiana, were immediately released.
‘While an investigation into the source of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks,’ stated the CDC.
A colorized transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (Picture: Getty Images)
It is the first H5N1 bird flu case in the US to be linked to backyard flocks.
‘This case underscores that, in addition to affected commercial poultry and dairy operations, wild birds and backyard flocks also can be a source of exposure,’ stated the agency.
Health officials are investigating the source of the disease.
The bird flu genotype of the patient’s case is different from the one detected in dairy cows and sporadic outbreaks in humans and poultry in several US states. The genotype found in the Louisiana patient was linked to recent human cases in Washington state and in British Columbia, Canada, and wild birds and poultry in the US.
Three influenza A, or H5N1 bird flu, virus particles (Picture: Getty Images)
Despite the case being classified as ‘severe’, it ‘does not change CDC’s overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public’s health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low’, stated the agency.
There have been 61 reported H5 bird flu cases in humans in the US.
The CDC advises the best way to prevent catching the bird flu is to avoid exposure. Infected birds shed the virus in their feces, saliva and mucous, while affected animals can also shed the virus through respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids like raw cow milk.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.