Health

cbabe

(5,964 posts) Sat Nov 22, 2025, 11:42 AM 18 hrs ago

1st human known to be infected with H5N5 strain of bird flu dies, Washington state officials say

https://abcnews.go.com/US/1st-human-infected-h5n5-strain-bird-flu-dies/story?id=127774354

1st human known to be infected with H5N5 strain of bird flu dies, Washington state officials say

The person was an older adult with underlying health conditions, officials said.

ByYouri Benadjaoud
November 21, 2025, 7:59 PM

The first human to have ever been infected with the H5N5 strain of bird flu has died, Washington state health officials confirmed late Friday.

The person was an older adult with underlying health conditions, the Washington State Department of Health said in a news release.

The person had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds. No other details were released out of respect of the family’s privacy, health officials said.

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4 replies

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1st human known to be infected with H5N5 strain of bird flu dies, Washington state officials say (Original Post) cbabe 18 hrs ago OP

Just in time for the holidays! 2naSalit 18 hrs ago #1

I thought over the last few years several people in China had died of this? mwmisses4289 17 hrs ago #2

People have died from H5N1, but this is the first case of H5N5 in humans. nilram 15 hrs ago #3

Thank you for clearing that up for me. mwmisses4289 15 hrs ago #4

2naSalit

(99,073 posts)

1. Just in time for the holidays!

Reply to cbabe (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2025, 11:50 AM

18 hrs ago

mwmisses4289

(2,837 posts)

2. I thought over the last few years several people in China had died of this?

Reply to cbabe (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2025, 01:12 PM

17 hrs ago

Or was that a different strain of bird flu?

nilram

(3,431 posts)

3. People have died from H5N1, but this is the first case of H5N5 in humans.

Reply to mwmisses4289 (Reply #2)

Sat Nov 22, 2025, 02:58 PM

15 hrs ago

All the attention has been on H5N1 because they’re concerned about human-to-human transmission. They’re not sure yet where this guy got H5N5 (he did keep chickens, though), but not concerned about H5N5 transmission between mammals. Yet

https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/h5n5-avian-influenza-confirmed-grays-harbor-county-resident

I looked at various reports and “first H5N5 in humans" is consistent.

mwmisses4289

(2,837 posts)

4. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

Reply to nilram (Reply #3)

Sat Nov 22, 2025, 03:01 PM

15 hrs ago

I had remembered it was H5something, just couldn't remember which variant.

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