Washington man dies from first case of bird flu strain reported in humans

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A Washington man died from complications tied to an H5N5 bird flu infection, the first recorded instance of a human contracting this avian influenza strain worldwide, state and federal health officials said Friday.

The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both confirmed that, although bird flu infections in humans remain rare, this case marks a significant development in flu surveillance in the United States and internationally.

Health authorities stated that nobody else exposed to the man has tested positive for bird flu; there is no indication of human-to-human transmission at this time, the state’s department of health said in a press release.

Why It Matters

This death marked the first confirmed human infection with the H5N5 avian influenza virus worldwide and the second reported human death linked to bird flu in the United States during the current outbreak.

While rare, the emergence of a novel strain in a human raises concerns among public health experts about ongoing virus evolution, interspecies transmission, and the potential for future mutations with wider implications.

Over the past several years, avian influenza outbreaks have impacted millions of birds across North America, with increasing detection in mammals since January 2022, according to a report from CNN.

The CDC and Washington officials emphasized that the risk to the broader public remains low, but epidemiologists remain vigilant for signs that could suggest increased human transmissibility.