Washington state resident dies from H5N1 bird flu after cattle exposure

A Yakima County, Washington, resident who had underlying medical conditions died Sunday from H5N1 avian influenza after contact with infected cattle at a dairy, county health officials said. The person was hospitalized before the death, and the death is the nation's first linked to bird flu in a year.

Before Sunday, two other U.S. deaths had been connected to bird flu since the virus became a national public health concern in 2024, the Associated Press reported. One was announced in January 2025: an older Louisiana resident with H5N1. The other occurred in Washington state in November 2025 and involved H5N5, a rarer subtype. The latest case raises the total to three U.S. deaths linked to bird flu since 2024.

County officials did not provide further information about the person who died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the infection was H5N1.

Officials reported that 33 dairy herds have recently tested positive for H5N1. Three people were infected after exposure at a dairy. The Yakima Health District is collaborating with the state health department to trace close contacts and watch for symptoms.

For several years, H5N1 has circulated widely in wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals, the AP report said. Worries grew in early 2024 as infections moved through U.S. livestock, and health authorities say a wider presence of the virus raises the likelihood of human exposure and infection.

The CDC has counted more than 70 human infections in the U.S. since early 2024 and says it has not seen person-to-person spread; it considers the risk to the general public low.

A CDC spokesperson said Monday that genetic analysis of the patient's virus found no changes that would make the virus transmit more readily or cause worse illness.

Health officials still advise people who handle sick or dead birds to wear respiratory protection, eye protection and gloves. Farm workers are seen as having higher risk.