The U.S. reported its first severe human case of bird flu on Wednesday in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalized in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock.

The C.D.C. said it has confirmed a case of bird flu in Louisiana that resulted in “severe illness” that required hospitalization.

The patient was not infected via work at a poultry or cattle facility, but rather at their own home. They had exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard poultry flock, according to the health agency. This marks the first confirmed human case of avian influenza linked to a backyard flock in the U.S., per the CDC.