Bird flu in Louisiana: What we know about the outbreak | Health care/Hospitals

Professor Sarah Michaels, a medical entomologist, began a recent class at Tulane University with a discussion about the cheapest eggs in town.

Once an affordable source of protein, a dozen eggs — if you can find them on Louisiana shelves — now averages around $7, according to a price tracker.

The soaring price of eggs is a ripple effect of an ongoing outbreak of avian influenza, also known as H5N1 or bird flu, which has spread from wild birds to dairy and poultry farms, infected cats, and caused at least one human death in Louisiana — the only recorded fatality from bird flu in the U.S. to date.

As the outbreak worsens, concerns about its impact on agriculture and public health continue to grow. The virus has devastated poultry farms, spread to dairy cattle, and raised alarms among infectious disease experts over its potential to mutate. On Friday, poultry processing plants in New York shut down due to outbreaks among flocks, bringing the total death toll to 156 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds.

Meanwhile, international health agencies are tracking a rise in H5N1 cases among mammals — including dolphins and cats — warning that continued spread could increase the risk of genetic mutations that make the virus more transmissible to humans.

While the risk to humans remains low for now, disruptions in information flowing from federal agencies to local health officials have made it harder to assess and respond to emerging threats.

With hospitals preparing to ramp up bird flu surveillance, coordination between the federal government, local hospitals, clinics, and wildlife authorities is crucial.

“The big issue to me is that those surveillance systems for both people and animals keep working and keep looking,” Michaels said. “Without that data, we don’t have a good picture of what’s happening.”

Tracking bird flu in Louisiana

Louisiana is at the end of the Mississippi Flyway, the most heavily used migration corridor in North America. Millions of birds populate the state’s wetlands during this time of year, increasing the chances of contact with other animals and humans.

Experts say the spread of bird flu along migration routes varies depending on where birds are in their journey, though the duration of the virus seems to be evolving as it spreads from flock to flock.

“The migratory birds at the top of the flyway are shedding more (virus) than the birds at the bottom, probably because they develop antibodies over the course of their flight,” said Carol Cardona, professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota.

Still, hundreds of ducks killed by hunters in Louisiana have tested positive for bird flu since 2022 when the outbreak began, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Two backyard flocks in Louisiana have also tested positive for bird flu. In one case, the owner contracted the virus from their birds and later died. The individual was over 65 and had other health conditions, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. It remains the only recorded H5N1 death in the U.S., though a Canadian teenager was hospitalized in critical condition in late 2024.

Many more birds are likely infected, but it’s hard to conduct routine surveillance of birds. When Kenner residents noticed a group of dead ducks recently, for example, it was too late to test them for bird flu, according to Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries.

In early January, a cat in Plaquemines Parish tested positive for bird flu after being picked up for neutering. When it exhibited neurological symptoms — including tremors, seizures, and circling while trying to walk — it was euthanized and tested.

Cats are highly susceptible to H5N1 and are thought to contract it by drinking raw milk from infected cows or preying on wild birds. However, they are generally considered “dead-end” hosts for the virus, meaning they are unlikely to spread it further, said Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University. However, the CDC recently published, then deleted data suggesting there was potential for cats to transmit bird flu to other cats and humans, according to news reports.

The Louisiana Department of Health has responded to the outbreak by providing public guidance on who is most at risk (primarily people exposed to birds or cattle) and issuing recommendations for healthcare providers. The state is also monitoring emergency room visits and wastewater for signs of increased viral activity, though no significant spikes have been detected.

Scientists remain concerned that the virus could mutate if left to circulate unchecked. Flu viruses of different subtypes can combine in hosts, potentially leading to mutations that make H5N1 transmissible to humans.

“People telling you that the risk for humans is still low are telling you the truth,” Garry said. “But we’re maybe just a few of those changes away. I think a lot of monitoring should be going on, and I’m not sure we’re actually getting all that done properly.”

Hospitals prepare

Ideally, health and wildlife authorities from different backgrounds should be in coordination, said Dr. Julio Figueroa, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health New Orleans. That has been difficult with the communication freeze.

“All the different components should be talking to each other and creating guidance, especially in a state like ours, where we have a lot of wild animals, a lot of (backyard) animals, and a lot of environment,” said Figueroa.

Hospitals are currently implementing protocols to get high-risk people with exposure to animals additional testing if they develop flu-like symptoms. The subtyping for H5N1 is currently about three times the cost of a regular flu test, said Figueroa, making it impractical to test every symptomatic patient for bird flu.

At Ochsner, patients who are sick enough to require hospitalization for the flu will have further testing done to rule out H5 influenza, said Dr. Sandra Kemmerly. If there is evidence of a cluster of cases among humans, indicating the virus has evolved to spread from person to person, the hospital will increase testing.

“That’s when the gloves come off, and we have widespread, intense surveillance, because that would be a game changer,” said Kemmerly.

Currently, experts recommend that people limit contact with wild birds and keep pets away from dead or wild animals. Mark Mitchell, professor of zoological medicine at LSU, advised against using bird feeders, where wild birds may congregate, and instead suggested planting native vegetation that naturally attracts birds.

Raw milk and unpasteurized cheese should be avoided, and poultry, eggs, and other animal products should be cooked to the proper temperature.

Louisiana residents can report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA at 866-536-7593 or the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Diagnostic Lab at 318-927-3441.