A person in Washington state has become the first known human to die from the rare H5N5 strain of bird flu, though health officials say the risk to the public remains low.
The patient, an older adult with underlying health conditions from Grays Harbor County, had been hospitalized since early November with fever, confusion and respiratory problems. Officials said the person’s backyard poultry flock had been exposed to wild birds, which is believed to be the source of the infection.
State and federal health authorities confirmed there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, and no close contacts have tested positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the case does not increase the overall risk to public health.
H5N5 is not thought to be more dangerous than the better-known H5N1 strain, which has caused dozens of mostly mild human cases in recent years, largely among farm workers.
