First-ever human H5N5 case in the U.S. ends in death
Washington state has confirmed the world’s first human death from the H5N5 avian flu strain. Officials say the overall public risk remains low and no human-to-human transmission has been detected.
A concerning first has been recorded in the United States: Washington State Department of Health announced that a resident infected with the previously animal-only H5N5 avian influenza strain has died. The individual, who had underlying health conditions, is believed to have contracted the virus after contact with a backyard flock exposed to wild birds.
First human infection confirmed
Health authorities stated that the patient kept a mixed flock of domestic poultry and likely encountered the virus through exposure linked to wild birds. The individual was hospitalized in early November with high fever and severe respiratory symptoms but did not survive. The case marks the first known human infection of the H5N5 strain worldwide.
Public risk remains low
According to state health officials and the CDC, all close contacts were tested and no additional infections were found. Authorities reiterated that there is no evidence of person-to-person spread and that the public risk level remains low.
Bird flu cases rising in the U.S.
Over the past two years, the U.S. has recorded more than 70 human cases of avian influenza—almost all linked to the H5N1 strain and typically in farmworkers or individuals exposed to infected poultry or cattle.
Officials emphasize that current data do not indicate H5N5 poses a greater threat than H5N1.
