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Washington health officials have reported that a resident recently became infected with a type of bird flu previously only seen in animals. The person who tested positive for H5N5 is a resident of Grays Harbor County, a sparsely populated county in western Washington.
While it is first the case of bird flu in humans since February, it is yet another case that appears to have originated with backyard chickens or wild birds. As of Friday, the infected person, who is older and has underlying health conditions, was reportedly still hospitalized.
“The affected person has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild birds,” the Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) wrote in a statement. “The domestic poultry or wild birds are the most likely source of virus exposure; however, public health investigation is ongoing. The Washington State Department of Health is working with the local health department and the Washington State Department of Agriculture to complete exposure and animal health investigations.”
How to lower your risk of being infected with bird flu
The WSDH also reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently considers “the risk to the public from avian influenza to be low.” That being said, the health department still made several recommendations.
“People who work with or have recreational contact with infected birds, cattle, or other potentially infected domestic or wild animals are at higher risk and should take precautions,” they wrote, adding, “People who may have exposure to sick birds get a seasonal flu vaccine.”
The WSDH recommends wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, eye protection, and fluid-resistant coveralls or other outerwear. They also recommend that people with backyard poultry avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report any illnesses to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Avoid eating raw or undercooked food products, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk or raw cheese, and refrain from feeding these products to pets. They also warn against handling or allowing pets to come into contact with dead birds or other wildlife.
Medical professionals are concerned about a possible bird flu pandemic
In April, several doctors, veterinarians and scientists expressed concern that a bird flu pandemic could be coming soon. In 2024, Robert Redfield, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned that it is “not a question of if, it’s more a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic.”
“At present, we’re given a stick, and they put a blindfold on us, and we’re sent into a gunfight and we’re losing. We are losing,” veterinarian Dr. Kay Russo said in April. She added, “If you look at cases worldwide of H5 influenza, the mortality rate’s fifty per cent. And so, we’re all kind of you know, talking to each other. What does this mean? And that was a scary space to be in.”