How deadly is the bird flu? The US has reported its first death from avian influenza, H5N1. Here's what to know about bird flu mortality rate and who is at risk.

Human cases of bird flu have been detected before in the UK, Russia and China but concern has mounted as the US reported its first-ever death from the virus this week

Two months shy of the fifth anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, the US has recorded its first human death as a result of avian influenza H5N1 infection. The unidentified Louisiana man contracted the virus through contact with infected wild and domestic birds on his property

Bird flu is a disease caused by avian influenza A viruses, according to the CDC. The virus mostly spreads between birds and dairy cows, but there have been 67 human cases of bird flu nationwide and one death tied to the infection since 2024, CDC records show.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed another human H5N1 avian flu case -- otherwise known as bird flu -- in California on Thursday, bringing the nationwide total of cases to 67.

Birds within the protection zone should not be kept outdoors and there should be no movement of birds or eggs within or out of the zone except under licence, according to the coun

The CDC announced on Thursday its recommendation to test hospitalized influenza A patients more quickly and thoroughly to distinguish between seasonal flu and bird flu.

NBC News Medical Contributor Dr. Kavita Patel speaks with Gadi Schwartz about the difference in symptoms between a cold and the flu and explains the CDC's urge for faster testing to find human bird flu cases.