The LDH revealed that the patient was over age 65, had underlying medical conditions and contracted bird flu after exposure to both wild birds and a non-commercial backyard flock.

The death in Louisiana — involving a person with underlying health conditions — is the first human case in the United States linked to exposure to backyard birds, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Louisiana has announced the first avian influenza-related human death in the country. The patient had been hospitalized with the first human case of H5N1. Officials said he contracted avian influenza after being exposed to a combination of non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.