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

Portugal reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza among poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday, as Europe faces a seasonal upturn in the deadly disease.

“While tragic, a death from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Louisiana Department of Health said on Monday that a U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu had died, the country's first death from an outbreak of the virus that has sickened dozens of people and millions of poultry and cattle.

The deceased was over 65 and had other medical conditions, state officials said. A Louisiana patient who had been hospitalized with severe bird flu has died, the first such fatality in the United States, state health officials reported on Monday.

Japanese authorities have begun culling another 50,000 chickens following the confirmation of a bird flu outbreak at a poultry farm in the northern Iwate region. This marks the 19th outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country this season,

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says seven poultry farms in southwestern Ontario have been placed under quarantine due to an avian flu outbreak.