Authorities around the world are monitoring the evolution of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. It appeared in China almost 30 years ago and has diversified to infect many speciesspecies. And even humans. L’World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization counts more than 950 cases. About half resulted in death. And this Monday, January 6, the Centers for Control and preventionprevention Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a first death from avian flu in the United States.
One death, but reassuring news on the avian flu front
The man, a Louisiana resident over the age of 65 with comorbidities, had been hospitalized for several weeks in critical condition. According to authorities, he had contracted bird flu through contact with sick backyard birds.
These fatal cases of avian flu in cats worry researchers
The CDC recalls that in 2024, 66 human cases of H5N1 avian influenza have been confirmed in the United States. But the tragic news of this death does not change the risk for the general public, which scientists continue to place at a low level. The CDC confirms that contaminationscontaminations remain due to contact with infected animals. No human-to-human transmission has been identified.
-A mutation confined to a patient
Remember that the flu virusflu virus avian normally bind to a cellular receptor rare in humans. Hence the fact that the virus H5N1virus H5N1 does not affect people easily and is not transmitted from person to person.
Scientists are worried: a simple mutation could be enough for this virus to start affecting humans!
However, analyzes carried out on samples taken from the Louisiana patient showed that the virus he was infected with could better attach to cells in the upper respiratory tract of humans. But as no worrying virological changes were observed in other analyzes geneticsgeneticsscientists believe these changes occurred as the virus multiplied in the now deceased patient. Which makes them less worrying.
