A person who was receiving treatment for H5N5 bird flu died this Friday, the Washington State Department of Health reported.
The victim, for whom no further details were provided, was an older adult with health problems who resided in Grays Harbor County, the institution said.
The victim, whose name has not been released, was suffering from a different type of infection than had been seen in previous cases; he was infected with a bird flu called H5N5, authorities said.
It is the first human case of bird flu in the United States since February. State and federal health officials said this appears to be the first known infection in a person with the H5N5 bird flu virus.
The victim had poultry in his yard that had been exposed to wild birds, health officials said, finding traces of the virus in the animals.
That version is not believed to be a greater threat to people’s health than the H5N1 virus, responsible for a wave of 70 human infections reported in the country in 2024 and 2025. Most of those cases have been mild illnesses in dairy and poultry farm workers.
