First US H5N5 Bird Flu Case in Washington Man

A man in his late 60s from Grays Harbor County in Washington State has become the first person in the United States to contract H5N5 avian influenza, health officials announced last week. The patient, who has underlying health conditions, was hospitalized in early November with severe symptoms including high fever, confusion and respiratory distress. He remains in critical condition as authorities investigate the source of his infection.

State health officials believe the man was exposed through his backyard flock of domestic poultry, which had contact with wild birds. The Washington State Department of Health confirmed the H5N5 strain on Friday, following a preliminary diagnosis reported the previous day. This marks the first human case of bird flu in the country since February, ending a nine-month gap in reported infections.

The H5N5 subtype, previously detected only in animals, is closely related to H5N1, the highly pathogenic strain responsible for the majority of recent human cases. Since early 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 70 human infections with H5N1 across the United States, primarily among workers on dairy and poultry farms. Most of...