NEW YORK, January 7. /TASS/. The first human death from H5N1 avian influenza in the United States was reported in the state of Louisiana, the official website of the local health authorities said in a statement.
"The Louisiana Department of Health reports the patient who had been hospitalized with the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana and the US national has died," the statement from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) reads.
"The patient was over the age of 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions," according to the statement. "The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds."
"The best way to protect yourself and your family from H5N1 is to avoid sources of exposure," LDH’s statement points out. "That means avoiding direct contact with wild birds and other animals infected with or suspected to be infected with bird flu viruses."
The local health department also added that: "LDH’s extensive public health investigation has identified no additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission. This patient remains the only human case of H5N1 in Louisiana.".