A patient in Louisiana has died of bird flu. Health authorities considered the case to be the first severe H5N1 infection in a U.S. resident.

A patient who had been hospitalized with bird flu has died of the disease, the Louisiana Department of Public Health reported Monday.

A patient with the first “ severe case ” of bird flu in the U.S. has died, according to a press release Monday from the Louisiana Department of Health. It’s the first human death from H5N1 in the country since concern over the current outbreak started in early 2024 when it became clear the virus was being transmitted in the U.S. between cattle.

The patient, who was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized Dec. 18 in critical condition with severe respiratory illness.

The U.S. has recorded its first fatal case of H5N1 bird flu, in a person from Louisiana who contracted the virus from infected chickens and wild birds in a backyard flock.

The patient contracted the virus after exposure to both backyard poultry and wild birds, Louisiana health officials said.

The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported — a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms. Louisiana health officials announced the death on Monday. Health officials have said the person was older than 65,