Washington Man ‘Severely ill’ with ‘Unpredictable’ Virus Never before Seen in Humans
By Tracy Swartz
In a startling first, a Washington state man has been infected with a strain of bird flu previously only detected in animals and never before in humans.
The “severely ill” man was hospitalized with a high fever, confusion and respiratory distress earlier this month and confirmed to have H5N5, a subtype of avian influenza carried by wild birds like ducks and geese.
This is a close-up of the H5N1 virus, which differs slightly from the H5N5 virus that recently infected a man in Washington state.
The Washington State Department of Health described the unidentified patient as being “older” and having “underlying health conditions.”
The agency noted that the man has a “mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry” at his home in Grays Harbor County, on the southwest Pacific coast of the state.
Two of the birds recently died, the Washington Post reported.
Wild birds could also access the property, with agency officials believing that either set of birds is “most likely” the source of the virus exposure.
The man remained hospitalized as of last week while the investigation continues.
The investigation into the source of the unidentified Washington man’s infection continues.
The risk to the public is low, according to Washington health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No one else has tested positive for H5N5. There’s no evidence of person-to-person spread, though experts have acknowledged that viral evolution can be “unpredictable.”
H5N1 is more common in the US but still rare. The difference between the two strains is a protein on the virus’ surface.
H5N1 has persisted here since 2022, infecting wild birds, domestic poultry, dairy cattle and even, occasionally, humans.
There have been 71 human cases of H5 bird flu recorded in the US since 2024.
Most cases came with mild symptoms, but a Louisiana patient did die in January.
The man had been raising backyard chickens that had become exposed to wild birds.
