Bird flu: first ever death from rare H5N5 strain is recorded in US

"A US man is believed to be the first person to die from a rare strain of bird flu, but state health officials said on Friday the risk to the public is low. The man in Washington state, an older adult with underlying health conditions, was being treated for a bird flu strain called H5N5 after becoming seemingly the first known human infected by the strain, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Health."

"The patient had been in hospital with the disease since early November after developing a high fever, confusion and respiratory problems, health officials said earlier. The man from Grays Harbor county, about 78 miles (125km) south-west of Seattle had a backyard flock of domestic poultry that had been exposed to wild birds, health officials said. The risk to the public remains low, the statement from state health officials said. No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza."

An older adult in Washington state with underlying health conditions died after infection with H5N5 bird flu and had been hospitalized since early November with high fever, confusion and respiratory problems. The individual kept a backyard flock of domestic poultry that had been exposed to wild birds in Grays Harbor County. State health officials say the risk to the public is low, no other people involved have tested positive, and contacts will be monitored. The CDC indicated the case does not suggest increased public health risk. H5N5 differs from H5N1 by a protein involved in virus release and spread between cells; H5N1 caused about 70 reported US human infections in 2024–2025, mostly mild in farm workers.

Read at www.theguardian.com