The United States has reported its first human death from H5N1 bird flu, marking a somber moment in the ongoing outbreak of the virus. The Louisiana Department of Health announced in a statement on Monday that a patient over the age of 65,

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 first human death from bird flu in the United States has intensified calls for the government to ramp up efforts to stave off the threat of another pandemic -- particularly ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.