Washington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle

NEW YORK (AP) — A person in Washington state has died from complications of the bird flu, the first such U.S. death in a year.

The Yakima County resident, who had previous health conditions, was exposed to avian influenza at a dairy with infected cattle and had been hospitalized, county health officials announced Sunday.

Two other U.S. deaths have been tied to bird flu since it became a national public health concern in 2024. The first, announced in January 2025, was an elderly person in Louisiana who had a version of bird flu known as H5N1. The other, in Washington state, died in November 2025 from a rarer version called H5N5.

Yakima County officials did not release any additional details about the person who recently died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the person was infected with H5N1.

County officials have reported that 33 dairy herds recently have tested positive for H5N1.

They say three human infections have been linked to exposure at a dairy, and that the Yakima Health District is working with the state health department to find people who were in close contact with those people and monitor them for symptoms.

The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals for several years. Health concerns escalated in early 2024 when infections spread among U.S. livestock. Its presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials have said.

More than 70 human infections have been reported in the U.S. since the beginning of 2024, according to the CDC. But there is no known person-to-person spread and the risk to the general public is low, the agency says.

The agency analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus from the person who died in Washington and found no changes that would make the virus spread more easily or cause more severe illness, a CDC spokesperson said Monday.

Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry. People who work on farms are considered to be at higher risk.

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