The first person to have a severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

The patient, who was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized Dec. 18 in critical condition with severe respiratory illness.

A person in Louisiana who was hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu has died. The hospitalization, first announced Dec. 13, marked the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States. H5N1 is a subtype of bird flu that's been circulating among wild birds and poultry in the U.