LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United States has confirmed a severe human case of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus (H5N1 bird flu) infection.

A patient has been hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday.

This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States.

Since April this year, there have been a total of 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States, according to CDC.

While an investigation into the source of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, said CDC.

This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock.

No person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has been detected in the country so far. The immediate risk to the public's health from H5N1 bird flu remains low, according to CDC. Enditem

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