A Washington State resident has died after contracting a rare strain of bird flu previously detected only in animals, marking the world’s first recorded human infection with the H5N5 variant — and the second bird flu–related death in the United States this year.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, the patient—described only as an older adult with underlying medical conditions—had been hospitalised since early this month. Laboratory testing by the University of Washington confirmed the presence of the H5N5 avian influenza strain, a finding later validated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
State health officials emphasised that the risk to the general public remains low. “No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza,” the department said, noting that there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Investigators believe the patient was likely exposed through a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds kept at their residence.
The CDC has recorded more than 70 human bird flu infections across the U.S. this year. In January, another individual died in Louisiana after contracting the H5N1 strain.
Globally, the World Health Organization has documented over 1,000 human cases of various bird flu strains in 25 countries since 2003.
Credit:AFP
