In the US, a person has died for the first time from the rare H5N5 bird flu, which has never before been reported in humans.
The Washington state patient was hospitalized with symptoms of high fever, severe breathing problems and confusion after being diagnosed with a rare strain of bird flu called H5N5.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, this case is reportedly the historic first of humans being infected by the strain.
According to the findings of health officials, the deceased had poultry in the backyard, which increased his exposure to the wild birds.
State health officials issued a statement: “The risk to the public remains low. No other individuals involved have tested positive for bird flu.”
“Public health officials will continue to monitor anyone who was in close contact with the patient for symptoms to ensure no human-to-human spread has occurred. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of this virus,” the statement read.
The health officials also talked about monitoring those who came near this person. However, the details of the deceased person in question have not yet been revealed.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also denied the seriousness of the public health threats posed by the case.
Bird flu strain H5N5 is not considered a greater threat to humans. On the contrary, the H5N1 strain is responsible for causing 70 infections in the US in 2024 and 2025.
