A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the first severe case of the illness in the United States. The U.S.

A genetic analysis of the bird flu in the body of a Louisiana man who contracted the first severe case found it mutated inside of his body, a development that could allow the virus to more easily spread to humans.

Federal health officials say that not only has a Louisiana resident contracted the first severe case of bird flu in the U.S., but that the virus likely mutated in the patient. The findings raise concern regarding the adaptability of the virus.

The United States has confirmed its first known severe human infection of H5N1 bird flu, in a person in Louisiana believed to have contracted the virus through contact with sick or dead birds in a backyard flock.

The CDC has confirmed a total of 66 human cases of bird flu across the United States as of Friday, although the number is believed to be higher.

Genetic analysis of H5N1 bird flu viruses from a severely ill patient in Louisiana revealed multiple mutations that may enhance the virus’s ability to bind to human upper airway cells, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Thursday.

HPAI is considered low risk to humans, the agency said, and there have been no human cases in New England during the current outbreak. The post Bird flu detected in small backyard flock in Vermont appeared first on Boston.