The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported — a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms.

Louisiana state health officials announced the death on Monday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was the nation's first due to bird flu.

Health officials have said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. They also said a genetic analysis had suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to the more severe illness.

News 12 New Jersey spoke to a doctor at Jersey Shore University Medical Center to find out more about how New Jersey residents should protect themselves.

"I don't think it’s a widespread problem yet. I think they are keeping an eye on things and right now it’s restricted more to people who have direct contact with birds or fowl or cattle,” said Dr. Edward Liu.

Liu says that bird flu symptoms are very similar to the regular flu, such as coughing and nasal drip. He says that samples of raw milk and other dairy products are being tested on a national level for the virus.

"I think that pasteurization kills bacteria, as well as viruses and it’s an important part or the safety of our food. So, I think that when people go out of the way to avoid some pasteurized products that are more mainstream products, then I think that they put themselves at a higher risk,” says Liu.

There have been no cases of human-to-human bird flu transmission. Liu says that this could change if the virus grows and mutates. He recommends that people wash their hands, cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and wear a mask if they are not feeling well.