A 65-year-old with underlying medical conditions has succumbed to avian influenza, the first human death from bird flu in the United States.
Food Safety News says the patient was exposed to non-commercial backyard flocks and wild birds.
Bird flu outbreaks have been reported in multiple states including California since April 2024 and mainly caused mild illnesses among some patients.
The Centers for Disease Control says there have been 66 human cases of bird flu in the U.S. with over half in California.
H5N1 is widespread in birds worldwide, causing outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy cows.
While the current public health risk is still low, the CDC is overseeing the situation and working with states to monitor people with animal exposure.
The CDC is also using its flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5N1 activity in people.
Bird flu infections in humans are usually rare and don’t typically spread from person to person.
