In its announcement this week of the first human death from bird flu in the United States, health officials in Louisiana were quick to note that the patient was over age 65 and “reported to have underlying medical conditions.

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

We asked public health and industry experts to break down the risks that bird flu presents to our food supply.

The patient had been hospitalized with the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana.