The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that a resident of Grays Harbor County is the first person confirmed to have the virus in the United States. H5N5 avian influenza.
The case also marks the first human bird influenza diagnosis in the country since February.
Officials described the patient as an “elderly patient with underlying health conditions” who remained hospitalized after showing flu-like symptoms in early November.
Avian influenza cases are on the rise, with cases confirmed at commercial poultry farms in Georgia
The DOH said the individual “kept a mixed flock of poultry in the backyard of his home and was exposed to wild birds.”
“Additional testing determined the virus to be H5N5. avian influenza virus This has been previously reported in animals, but not in humans. ”
Poultry and wild birds are considered the most likely sources of infection. Exposure to virusesalthough a health investigation is ongoing.
Public health experts have so far found no increased risk to the general public, according to a press release.
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“Transmission of avian influenza from humans is extremely rare and has never been recorded in the United States,” the report said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DOH “currently believe that the risk to the public from avian influenza is low.”
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The DOH urges poultry owners, wildlife handlers, and others who come into contact with animals to be careful.
Measures include avoiding contact with sick or dead birds, using appropriate protective equipment, and reporting sick wildlife or animals. livestock to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
This release also emphasizes that: seasonal influenza vaccine Although it does not protect against avian influenza infection, this is important because “infection with both viruses could result in the emergence of an avian influenza virus that is more easily transmitted from person to person.”
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Prior to this year, the CDC declared: Avian influenza state of emergency officially ends.
The agency’s emergency response to H5N1 avian influenza, which was triggered in 2024, was “deactivated” on July 2, citing a decline in animal infections and no cases of human infection since February, authorities told Reuters.
The H5N5 virus is a close relative of H5N1. both viruses comes from birds Experts say H5N5 shares part of its genetic code, but has different “terminals” in its structure that change its behavior.
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Health officials say H5N1 has been causing illness and even death in humans for years, but H5N5 has until now been largely restricted to birds.
