The United States’ first case of bird flu has arrived. Happy New Year!

If you thought 2025 was going to be your year then think again, because a severe strain of bird flu has made its way to the United States, and you know what that means…

A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized after contracting H5N1 bird flu, and it’s believed to be the first recorded case of such severity in the U.S. Right now there isn’t a whole lot of information regarding the patient’s symptoms or current condition, as federal officials have declined to comment, however, it is believed that the individual came into contact with dead birds on their property, which is how they contracted the virus.

While this isn’t the first time someone in the U.S. has contracted bird flu, this is the first instance of such a severe illness being linked to it. This is giving me flashbacks to the 2020 pandemic, and what’s even worse is the thought that TikTok might not even be around to distract us during a lockdown this time. But should we actually be worried about this strain of bird flu?

What threat does bird flu pose?

Avian influenza, or bird flu as it’s known to most, is a type of viral infection that usually spreads between birds, cows, and other animals, according to Clevelandclinic.org, though it has been known for humans to contract it in the past. Symptoms in people can range from mild to severe. The list of symptoms include: fever, muscle ache, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and pink eye, among other things. The virus infects the upper respiratory tract, which often leads to breathing problems.

Perhaps most concerning of all is the mortality rate – it’s pretty high. Historically, roughly half of all people known to be infected with bird flu have died, although most recent cases have only been mild.

According to the CDC, the virus is widespread in wild birds and animals across the globe with there actually being 61 confirmed cases of the illness in people in the U.S. at the time of writing. The individual in Louisiana is the only severe case right now, and it’s not clear exactly what their condition is, so let’s try not to panic.

Should we be worried?

We can all remember when cases of COVID-19 were that low, and look how that turned out. So the question is, should we all start stocking up on toilet paper? Well, despite the virus sounding really bad, it’s not a major threat; the CDC has categorized it currently as a “low public health risk.” Unlike COVID, the virus doesn’t spread so easily; “The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare.” 

Most cases of human exposure to the virus come from contact with birds and cattle, so the safest way to avoid catching it is to avoid infected animals. However, the risk of catching bird flu in general is pretty low anyway, so even though it sounds like the virus can really do a number on a person, the relatively low odds of catching it in the first place mean we’re all pretty safe. So don’t worry, unless you’re RFK Jr., in which case you should probably stop drinking raw milk.