Washington Resident Dies From Avian Influenza Complications

The person owned a flock of domestic birds in their backyard, state officials said.

FILE - This colorized electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on March 26, 2024, shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). CDC/NIAID via AP, File

A resident of Grays Harbor County in Washington state’s southwest has died from complications relating to avian influenza, representing the first recorded human infection globally with the H5N5 variant of the virus, state health officials announced Nov. 21.

The individual is an older adult with underlying health conditions, and had been hospitalized in King County since the beginning of November. Testing at the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Lab showed the patient was positive with the H5N5 virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed.

“People 65 years and older are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications compared with young, healthy adults,” according to the CDC website. “This increased risk is due in part to changes in immune defenses with increasing age.”

The Washington State Department of Health offered condolences to the individual’s family and friends. The department said officials have not released the person’s name, gender, or age out of respect for the family’s privacy.

The risk to the public remains minimal, as there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, according to the department. No other individuals have tested positive for avian influenza. Public health officials, however, are monitoring close contacts for symptoms.

The person owned a backyard flock of various domestic birds. State testing discovered the virus in the birds’ environment. Contact with the poultry, their surroundings, or wild birds is seen as the most likely source of infection. Individuals who had contact with the flock are also being monitored for symptoms.

Avian influenza, caused by type A viruses often seen in wild aquatic birds, can infect other bird species and sometimes mammals. The virus can be fatal to domestic poultry, such as chickens and turkeys, but rarely infects humans.

Health officials urged people with backyard poultry to steer clear of sick or dead birds and report illnesses to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Wild Coast Raw, based in Olympia, Washington, recalled certain batches of its frozen raw pet food after H5N1 avian flu was found in some of its products, the company announced via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Also in 2024, four agricultural workers in Washington state were “presumptively positive” with highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the Washington State Department of Health in October of that year.

The four potential infections were considered the first human cases of the virus under investigation in the state after cases were reported in California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas.