A Grays Harbor County, Washington resident who was undergoing treatment for H5N5 avian influenza has died.
The person was an older adult with underlying health conditions. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, state health officials are not releasing the person’s name, gender, or age. The person had been hospitalized in King County since early November.
Testing at the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Lab identified the virus as H5N5, making this the first recorded infection with this variant in a human globally. The result was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The risk to the public remains low. No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza. Public health officials will continue to monitor anyone who was in close contact with the patient for symptoms to ensure that human-to-human spread has not occurred. There is no evidence of transmission between people.
The person had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds. Department of Health sampling identified avian influenza virus in the environment of the flock, making exposure to the domestic poultry, their environment, or wild birds the most likely source of exposure for the patient. People who had exposure to the backyard flock and environment are also being monitored for symptoms.
