A Louisiana resident infected with H5N1 avian influenza is hospitalized in critical condition and suffering from severe respiratory symptoms, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday.
As reported by Ars, the health department reported a presumptive positive case on Friday, noting that the person was hospitalized. But a spokesperson at the time declined to provide Als with the patient’s condition or further details, citing patient confidentiality and the ongoing public health investigation.
This morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it had confirmed the state’s H5N1 testing and determined that this case “is the first serious illness associated with the virus in the United States.”
In a follow-up, Department of Health spokeswoman Emma Hurlock was able to release further information about the incident. In addition to being in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms, the person is reported to be over 65 years old and have underlying health conditions.
Additionally, the CDC collected partial genetic data on the H5N1 strain that infected the patient, which was determined to be D1.1. This genotype has been detected in wild birds and some domestic poultry in the United States. Notably, this is the same genotype seen in a Canadian teenager who was hospitalized in critical condition with the virus last month. D1.1. This genotype is not the same as the B3.13 genotype, which is the prevalent genotype in dairy cows in the United States.
