The U.S. reported its first human death from H5N1 bird flu, marking a significant milestone in the outbreak. The patient was over 65 with underlying health conditions and was hospitalized in Louisiana in December.

The patient was infected after contact with domestic and wild birds, specifically a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds he raised at home.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the patient was over 65 years of age and had existing medical conditions. Due to this, he developed severe illness after being exposed by the bird flu.