The first human death from bird flu in the United States has intensified calls for greater government action to prevent another pandemic, particularly with Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House.
Global health experts have been urging US authorities for months to enhance surveillance and share more data about the outbreak, especially after the virus began spreading to dairy cows for the first time.
On Monday, Louisiana health officials reported the country’s first death from avian influenza. The patient, over 60 years old, had underlying medical conditions and contracted the virus after exposure to infected birds.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that bird flu poses a low risk to the general population, concerns persist about its potential to mutate into a form more transmissible among humans.
Mutation Concerns
The H5N1 bird flu variant, first identified in 1996, has caused a record global outbreak since 2020, with millions of birds dying. In March 2024, the virus began transmitting between dairy cows in the US, heightening concerns.
Since early 2023, 66 cases of bird flu have been recorded in humans in the United States, primarily among farm workers. However, most were mild, unlike the Louisiana case. Globally, nearly half of the 954 human H5N1 cases reported since 2003 have been fatal, according to the WHO.
Experts, including Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans, warn of a potential pandemic. “The problem is that this is how it could start,” she said, criticising the lack of efforts to contain bird flu among cattle in the US.
Calls for Action
Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology professor at Brown University, said the death follows repeated warnings for stronger government intervention. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, urged governments to pressure the US into containing the H5N1 outbreak in cattle.
A preprint study co-authored by Peacock described mutations in cattle that increase the virus’s ability to infect other mammals, including humans.
The US government recently allocated $306 million to boost H5N1 surveillance and research. However, Rick Bright, a former senior health official, criticised the lack of transparency in bird flu data and called for vaccine authorisation for at-risk groups, such as farm workers.
Experts have also suggested developing rapid home tests, monitoring wastewater for bird flu, and increasing public awareness.
Political Concerns
Concerns have arisen over the incoming administration, particularly Trump’s health secretary pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic and advocate for raw milk, which has been linked to bird flu contamination.
With less than two weeks before the administration change, health officials are urging immediate action to mitigate the growing threat.