Washington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle
A Yakima County resident with underlying health conditions has died in Washington state after contracting H5N1 bird flu from infected dairy cattle. The individual, hospitalized before dying on Sunday, is the first U.S. bird flu fatality in a year and the third since the virus emerged as a major public health concern in 2024. Prior deaths involved an elderly Louisiana patient infected with H5N1 in January 2025 and a Washington resident who died from the rarer H5N5 strain in November 2025.
The death comes amid a regional outbreak in which 33 dairy herds tested positive for H5N1 and three human infections were tied to dairy exposure. In response, the Yakima Health District and state health officials are monitoring close contacts for symptoms. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported over 70 human infections since early 2024, driven by the virus spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, and cows.
The CDC maintains that risk to the general public remains low, with no known person-to-person spread. Genetic sequencing of the patient's sample showed no mutations that would make the virus spread more easily or cause more severe illness. However, officials continue urging farmworkers and those handling birds or livestock to use protective gloves, eyewear, and masks.
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