First person in US to develop severe illness from bird flu is hospitalized

California declares a state of emergency as CDC reports person had contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flock

The first person in the US to develop severe illness from H5N1 bird flu has been hospitalized in Louisiana, officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on Wednesday.

Officials believe the person had contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock, which would be the first time a person has contracted avian influenza from a backyard flock in the US - which the CDC's Demetre Daskalakis called notable".