The first person infected with H5N5 bird flu has died, according to Washington health officials.
The man, who lived in Grays Harbor County, was hospitalized earlier this month in Kings County, where Seattle is located.
Washington State Department of Health officials did not release the person's name, age or gender. According to press release Grays Harbor County health officials last week said the man was considered “elderly” and had underlying health conditions. Their symptoms included high fever, confusion and difficulty breathing.
This man had a backyard flock of mixed poultry.
Testing by the health department identified the virus in the “flock environment… making contact with poultry, the environment, or wild birds the most likely source of exposure for this patient.”
State health department officials said they are monitoring other people who were exposed to the herd and the environment.
This particular strain of bird flu, H5N5, has never been seen in humans before. It first appeared in 2023, infecting birds and mammals in eastern Canada.
According to study published last year As for the new strain, some infected animals had a key mutation in the virus that allows it to be more easily transmitted from one mammal to another.
Epidemiologists and virologists are concerned that bird flu could cause a pandemic if allowed to spread and mutate. For example, the H5N1 virus circulating among dairy cattle in North America. one mutation away from the ability to easily spread between people.
Every time a bird flu virus infects a person, fears grow that it could change, become more contagious or more deadly. For example, if a sick person has another influenza virus replicating in their body, there is concern that the viruses may be exchanging genetic material. Simply by being able to reproduce and evolve millions of times in the human body, it can acquire deadly mutations.
Health officials say the risk to the public remains low and that no other person involved has tested positive for bird flu. They say there is no evidence of transmission of the virus between people, but they are monitoring anyone who has been in close contact with the patient.
