This is a bad first across the Atlantic. A human death linked to avian flu has been recorded in the United States, Louisiana health authorities announced on Monday, specifying that it was an elderly patient who suffered from other pathologies.
This patient, aged over 65, was the first serious human case detected in the United States. He had been contaminated by the H5N1 virus via farmyard and wild birds. Suffering from a respiratory ailment, he was in “critical condition”, health authorities reported in December.
No human-to-human spread observed
The public health investigation conducted “did not identify additional cases of H5N1 or evidence of person-to-person transmission.” This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana,” said the Louisiana Department of Health. This is why he considers that the risk presented by avian flu for the general public remains “low”. “People who work with birds, poultry or cows, or who are exposed to these animals as part of their leisure time” are at “a higher risk”.
If no spread of the disease between humans has been observed, the level of circulation of the virus worries experts, particularly in the run-up to the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has expressed his wish to eliminate an agency responsible for preparation for epidemic risks.
The outgoing administration is, for its part, not exempt from criticism, with some experts deeming its response insufficient and warning of shortcomings in terms of contamination monitoring. However, the authorities announced on Friday that they would release $306 million to strengthen the national response to this threat by notably supporting epidemiological surveillance programs and medical research. “Even though the risk to humans is low, we are still preparing for all possible scenarios,” said US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
An ongoing epizootic in the United States
For several months, the country has been facing an epizootic – the equivalent of an epidemic among animals – of avian flu. The virus circulates in poultry farms and cattle herds. And 66 cases of avian flu in humans have been detected in the United States since the start of 2024, the vast majority of these cases being mild. But others could have gone unnoticed, authorities recognize. More worryingly, the virus has been detected in recent months in a handful of individuals with no known contact with an infected animal.
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According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “outside the United States, more than 950 cases of H5N1 avian influenza have been reported to the World Health Organization, and about half of between them resulted in death.” These human cases were recorded between 2003 and the end of 2024 in 24 countries.
