The first U.S. fatality to the bird flu was reported in Louisiana.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, the patient was over 65 years old and had underlying health conditions. They were the only known person with the disease in the state.

The patient contracted the H5N1 illness through contact with “non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.”

“While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk,” the press release read.

The health department recommended avoiding contact with wild birds and other animals vulnerable to the disease.

Public health officials first became alarmed about the newest strain of bird flu in April, when it spread to dairy cows. Since then, at least 60 cases of bird flu have been documented among humans, all through contact with cows or poultry.

No human-to-human cases have been reported, but scientists fear a continued mutation of the virus could lead to such transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month that the Louisiana patient had mutations that appeared to develop within him as the disease progressed.

Other virologists are urging calm.

“I still think the risk remains low,” Dr. Diego Diel, a virologist at Cornell University, told the New York Times.

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“However, it is important that people remain vigilant and avoid contact with sick animals, sick poultry, sick dairy cattle, and also avoid contact with wild birds,” he added.

If the trend continues, President-elect Donald Trump could once again have to deal with an epidemic while in office. His tenure coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which wreaked havoc on the U.S. and global population.