Washington resident dies from rare bird flu infection
A Washington resident died of complications from an infection with a bird flu strain never before reported in humans, the state Department of Health said on Friday, reports BritPanorama.
The patient was an older adult with underlying health conditions who had been hospitalized and undergoing treatment for infection with H5N5 avian influenza.
This incident marks the first reported case of bird flu in a human in the US in nine months and only the second human death from the virus in the United States. Despite this, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asserted that the risk to the general public from the virus remains low.
Health officials are monitoring others who were in close contact with the patient, but no additional tests for bird flu have returned positive, and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
“The person had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds,” the Washington State Department of Health noted in a statement. “DOH 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 this patient.”
Bird flu has been affecting wild birds globally for decades, but the latest outbreak in the US began in January 2022, with increased transmission among mammals compared to previous years.
According to the CDC, there have been seventy other reported human cases of bird flu in the US associated with this outbreak. Another elderly individual with underlying conditions also died from a bird flu infection in January.
While some cases have been severe, the CDC reports that most infected individuals experienced mild illness, typically presenting with symptoms such as red eyes and fever. The majority of those infected have close contact with animals, including 41 cases among cattle workers and 24 cases among poultry workers. The remaining cases fall into other exposure categories.
The CDC advises that anyone working closely with animals should wear appropriate protective equipment and exercise caution around animal feces. Additionally, officials recommend avoiding contact with sick or dead wildlife and using care when cleaning bird feeders or areas exposed to bird feces.
Furthermore, the Washington health department recommends flu shots for individuals who may come into contact with domestic or wild birds. While the standard influenza vaccine does not protect against bird flu, it can mitigate the slight risk of co-infection, which could lead to mutations of the bird flu virus that might facilitate human transmission.
