New research uses bird droppings to track avian flu in remote regions, revealing hidden hotspots and potential for early ...

The U.S. has reported 66 human cases of H5N1 bird flu since March 2024, but a recent death of a Louisiana resident marks the country’s first fatality from the virus.

Reports of the bird flu were detected in April in a farm in Texas. Since then, the dominant strain — H5N1 — was later detected in the first-confirmed human case in the United States. That ...

It’s also the first U.S. human case linked to exposure to a backyard flock, the agency said. The Missouri patient also was hospitalized, but for reasons beyond just the bird flu infection.

Report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593 or the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Diagnostic Lab at 318-927-3441.

The D1.1 cases in humans have come from birds, though the new case in Louisiana is the first acquired from a backyard flock. Most human cases have come from farm workers exposed to commercial poultry.