Washington resident is first human to contract H5N5 strain of bird flu

The Washington State Department of Health announced Nov. 14 that a state resident hospitalized earlier this month is the first human to have the H5N5 strain of bird flu. The virus was previously reported to have been found in animals only. The DOH said the individual is an older adult and has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry that was exposed to wild birds. The DOH said either the domestic poultry or the wild birds were the most likely source of exposure, but an investigation is ongoing to make a determination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DOH consider the risk of bird flu to the public to be low.