A patient in Louisiana was confirmed last week to have been hospitalized with a case of severe bird flu according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The individual was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, the first time an infection has been tied to such a source.
The strain that infected the Louisiana patient differs from the genotype found in cattle, which is responsible for most of the 61 bird flu cases that have been confirmed in the U.S. since March of this year.
According to the CDC, 37 bird flu cases were related to exposure to dairy herds, and 21 were related to exposure to poultry.
The vast majority of dairy herd-related bird flu cases — 33 — have occurred in California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to better mobilize resources, with his office saying this action will give state and local agencies “additional flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California’s evolving response.”
Bird flu has maintained a low but consistent presence in the U.S. throughout 2024. Federal authorities, however, maintain that the virus does not pose a significant threat to the general public.
Nearly all cases have occurred due to exposure to livestock among farmworkers. The CDC has invested into partnerships with states to specifically target and mitigate bird flu transmission among farmworkers.
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