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The Centers for Disease Control reported the first person hospitalized with a severe illness linked to the H5N1 bird flu in the United States, according to a Wednesday press release. The patient, who is reportedly in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms, is being treated in Louisiana.
“It has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks,” said the CDC. “This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock … No person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has been detected.”
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., anti-vaccine advocate and raw milk connoisseur Robert F Kennedy Jr. met with Capitol Hill lawmakers starting Monday as part of his bid to become Health and Human Services secretary. President-elect Donald Trump, who promoted the disproven link between autism and vaccines at a Monday press conference, also nominated TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—even though Oz notoriously pushed debunked “health” products like weight loss supplements to make a quick buck on his talk show.
“While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures,” the CDC press release said. Aside from widespread outbreaks among wild birds worldwide, the spread of the virus is so far limited to outbreaks among cattle and in poultry farms.
On the West Coast, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California on Wednesday in the face of an uncertain federal response to a potential bird flu outbreak. Those worries are not unfounded; a vengeful Trump and his goons tried to withhold FEMA aid to California during his first administration in 2018 and 2020.
Newsom acknowledged bird flu’s significant risks to public health and the state’s vital agricultural industry. This comes after 33 dairy herds were reported as sources of exposure in California, with many of the confirmed human bird flu cases linked to farm workers, particularly in the poultry and dairy industries.
To mitigate the risk, Newsom announced that California has launched a collaborative effort with local farms to reduce workers’ exposure to the virus.
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said. “Building on California’s testing and monitoring system—the largest in the nation—we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information.”
Bird flu was first detected in the wild bird population in South Carolina in January 2022, followed by California a few months later. On March 25, 2024, an outbreak of bird flu among dairy cows was first reported in Texas and Kansas. According to CDC estimates, 61 human infections have been reported so far.
However, with federal leadership during Trump’s first administration widely criticized for its lack of preparedness and promotion of disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, state-level efforts may be the first—and most reliable—line of defense in the coming months.
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