Washington resident dies of complications from bird flu strain never before reported in humans

Seventy other human cases of bird flu have been reported in the US as part of the outbreak, according to the CDC.

(CNN) — A Washington resident died of complications from an infection with a bird flu strain never before reported in humans, the state Department of Health said on Friday.

The patient was an older adult with underlying health conditions who had been hospitalized and undergoing treatment for infection with H5N5 avian influenza.

It’s the first reported case of bird flu in a human in the US in nine months and only the second reported human death from the virus in the United States, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the risk to the general public from the virus remains low.

Officials continue to monitor others who were in close contact with the person, but no one else has tested positive for bird flu, and no evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.

“The person had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds,” the Washington State Department of Health said in a statement. “DOH sampling identified avian influenza virus in the environment of the flock, making exposure to the domestic poultry, their environment, or wild birds the most likely source of exposure for this patient.”

Bird flu has been infecting wild birds around the world for decades, but the latest US outbreak started in January 2022 and has featured more spread among mammals than in past years.

Seventy other human cases of bird flu have been reported in the US as part of the outbreak, according to the CDC. Another elderly person with underlying conditions died in January after a bird flu infection.

Although a handful of cases have been severe, most people who have been infected have had mild illness, the CDC said, with symptoms like red eyes and fever. The majority of those who have caught bird flu work closely with animals. There have been 41 cases in people who work with cattle and 24 cases among poultry workers. Two other cases have had some other animal exposure that the CDC does not list, and in three cases, the exposure was unknown.

The CDC recommends that anyone who works closely with animals wear appropriate protective equipment and use caution around animal feces. Officials also advise using caution when cleaning bird feeders or other areas exposed to bird feces. Avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife.

The Washington health department also recommends flu shots for anyone who may come into contact with domestic or wild birds. Although the regular influenza vaccine can’t protect against bird flu, it reduces the slight chance that someone could get sick with both viruses at once and cause the bird flu virus to mutate into something that would spread easily among humans.

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