BATON ROUGE — The state Health Department said Monday that a Louisiana man hospitalized with the first human case of a highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States has died.

The agency said the patient was over age of 65 and had underlying medical conditions. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, the Health Department had said previously.

Health officials say they have not seen other bird flu cases or any evidence of person-to-person transmission. The Health Department said it wouldn't release any further information about the case.

They also released additional guidance about reducing the risk of exposure:

-Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.
- Keep your pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces.
- Do not eat uncooked or undercooked food. Cook poultry, eggs and other animal products to the proper temperature and prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.
- Avoid uncooked food products such as unpasteurized raw milk or cheeses from animals that have a suspected or confirmed infection.
- If you work on poultry or dairy farms, talk to your provider about getting your seasonal flu vaccination. It will not prevent infection with avian influenza viruses, but it can reduce the risk of coinfection with avian and flu viruses.
- Report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593 or the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Diagnostic Lab at 318-927-3441.