A resident of Yakima County, Washington, has died from complications related to H5N1 bird flu after being exposed to infected cattle at a dairy. The person, who had previous health conditions, had been hospitalized and died Sunday, county health officials said.
The death is the first reported U.S. fatality from bird flu in a year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the infection as H5N1, while county officials did not release additional information about the individual.
Since bird flu became a national public health concern in 2024, two other U.S. deaths have been linked to the virus. An elderly person in Louisiana died from H5N1 in January 2025, and a Washington resident died in November 2025 from the less common H5N5 strain.
Yakima County officials said 33 dairy herds have recently tested positive for H5N1. Three human infections have been linked to exposure at a dairy. The Yakima Health District is working with the state health department to identify people who had close contact with those patients and monitor them for symptoms.
The CDC said genetic analysis of the virus from the deceased person found no changes associated with easier transmission between people or more severe illness. More than 70 human infections have been reported in the United States since the start of 2024, but there is no known person-to-person spread and the agency says the risk to the general public remains low.
Health officials continue to advise people who handle sick or dead birds to use respiratory and eye protection and gloves. Farm workers are considered to face a higher risk of exposure.
Sources: STAT News.