Washington state health officials said they have identified the country's first case of bird flu since February. confirmatory testing awaited.
A resident of Grays Harbor County, Washington, has tentatively tested positive for the infection, the Washington State Department of Health said Thursday. Health officials say they are still investigating the source of the infection, including contact with wild or poultry.
The patient is an elderly person with underlying health conditions, state health officials said. They developed high fevers, confusion and respiratory distress and were hospitalized in early November. The person's treatment continues.
This year, through August 4, 26 cases of human infection with avian influenza have been confirmed worldwide. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of them, 23 people, were found outside the United States, 11 people died. Nine-month gap in new US cases widens have stumped health experts tracking the spread of the virus.
In 2024 and early 2025, infections were reported in 70 people in the United States—most of them dairy and poultry plant workers. One person died, but most of those infected had mild illness.
Although there have been no human cases in the United States for several months, cases of avian influenza have recently been observed in poultry and livestock.
In the last month, about 70 U.S. poultry flocks—commercial or backyard— were discovered Bird flu has affected more than 1.7 million birds, according to the USDA. Last confirmed livestock detection It happened about a month ago in Idaho dairy cows, according to the USDA.
The CDC characterizes the risk to the public as low, although it is higher for people who work with cattle and poultry or come into contact with wild birds.
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