A Louisiana resident has died after being hospitalized for a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the state's health department said Monday. The big picture: This marks the first bird flu-related human death in the U.

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.