Washington state resident dies of new H5N5 form of bird flu
The first person to contract H5N5 bird flu has died, according to health officials in Washington.
The Grays Harbor County resident was hospitalized in Kings County, where Seattle is located, earlier this month.
Washington State Department of Health officials did not release the person’s name, age or gender. According to a newsletter The person was considered “elderly” and had underlying health conditions, Grays Harbor County health officials said last week. His symptoms included high fever, confusion and difficulty breathing.
The person had a mixed flock of domestic fowl in his backyard.
Testing by the health department found that the virus “in the flock environment…makes exposure to domestic fowl, their enclosures, or wild birds the most likely source of exposure for this patient.”
Officials with the state’s health department said they are monitoring other people exposed to the herd and the environment.
This particular strain of bird flu, H5N5, has never been seen in humans before. It first emerged in 2023 and infected birds and mammals in eastern Canada.
Accordingly research published last year In the new strain, some infected animals carried a key mutation in the virus that made it more easily transmitted between mammals.
Epidemiologists and virologists worry that bird flu could lead to a pandemic if allowed to spread and mutate. For example, the H5N1 virus circulating in dairy cattle in North America is one mutation away from spreading easily among humans.
Every time a bird flu virus infects a human, concerns grow that the virus may change and become more contagious or more deadly. For example, if a sick person also has another flu virus replicating in their body, there is concern that the viruses may exchange genetic material. Even having the opportunity to reproduce and evolve millions of times in the human body can cause fatal mutations.
Health officials said the risk to the public is low and no other people involved have tested positive for bird flu. They say there is no evidence of transmission of the virus between people, but they are monitoring anyone who had close contact with the patient.
