California Declares S.O.E. as U.S. Reports 1st Severe Human Case of Bird Flu

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday amid rising concerns about bird flu cases in the state. On the same day, Louisiana reported the nation’s first severe case of H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed it as the first “severe” human case of the virus in the U.S., a zoonotic infection that has raised fears of becoming a global pandemic.

The case involves a resident from southwestern Louisiana who was initially reported as presumptively positive last Friday. According to Emma Herrock, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health, the patient, over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions, is in critical condition with severe respiratory illness linked to H5N1. Due to confidentiality, no additional updates on their condition are being provided. This marks the 61st human case of H5N1 in the U.S. since April, though the CDC maintains that the virus poses a low risk to the general public, with no reported deaths in the country so far.

The CDC noted that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, making it the first U.S. case linked to such origins. Of the 60 prior cases, 58 were associated with commercial agriculture—37 from dairy herds and 21 from poultry operations. The exposure sources for the remaining two cases remain unknown.

California has reported the highest number of human H5N1 infections this year, with 34 cases, most linked to cattle exposure.