Washington State Resident Dies of Bird Flu After Exposure at Infected Dairy Farm
A Yakima County resident in Washington state has died of bird flu after exposure at an infected dairy farm. It is the third US human death since the virus jumped to dairy cows.
A person in Washington state, in the northwestern United States, has died of bird flu after being exposed at an infected dairy farm, state health officials said on Sunday. It is the third human death in the US since a highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian influenza made the jump from wild migratory birds to dairy cows. The infection of cattle was first reported in the US in March 2024.
What is known about the deceased
The person was a resident of Yakima County and had underlying health conditions that may have made them more vulnerable to infection. On Friday, county officials had reported that the person was severely ill and in hospital. When announcing the death, officials said they would withhold further details, including name, gender and age, out of respect for the family's privacy.
Dave Atteberry, health officer of the Yakima Health District, expressed condolences to the family and loved ones in a statement. He said avian influenza can cause severe illness, particularly in people with underlying conditions, but that the risk to the general public remains low.
Another confirmed case
Since the virus was reported in dairy cattle in Washington on October 8, three people in the state have tested positive for bird flu. All three live in Yakima County. Alongside the death, officials also announced the third case. As with the first case, that person had been exposed to an infected dairy herd in the county. Neither of these two people is reported to have become severely ill or to have been hospitalized.
