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By Mandy Taheri
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The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the first detected infection of the H5N5 bird flu strain in a human, noting that community risk remains low.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, told Newsweek in an email on Saturday, “Infection with a H5N5 bird flu virus likely is a rare one-off event that does not have widespread implications for the general public.”
Why It Matters
Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 71 cases of bird flu in the country, with one reported death. The health agency maintains that the public health risk is low and there is no known person-to-person spread at this time.
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There are several different strains of bird flu, the most common being H5N1. Prior to the Washington state DOH’s announcement, H5N5 had previously been detected in animals but never reported in humans.
Avian flu risk rises in the fall and winter as migratory bird patterns can spread the virus to various animals, particularly those on poultry farms. Dr. Jatin Vyas, an infectious disease professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, told Newsweek that “this year, the outbreak is earlier and more severe.”
What To Know
On Friday, the DOH said a Grays Harbor County resident who was hospitalized in early November has been diagnosed with H5N5 bird flu. The infected individual is older and has underlying health conditions, the agency said, noting they are being treated in a King County hospital.
During a media call on Friday, Dr. Scott Lindquest, the medical state epidemiologist for Washington**,** said the case is really a "learning curve for many of us in clinical medicine."
“The affected person has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild birds. The domestic poultry or wild birds are the most likely source of virus exposure; however, public health investigation is ongoing,” the DOH stated. The Washington State Department of Agriculture has coordinated testing on the live birds in the patient's flock, with the results, as of Friday, pending.
Vyas told Newsweek that “reassortments (changes in the genes that encode proteins) in influenza are common. This change does not necessarily indicate an increase in the severity of illness, but we are still learning more about this.”
Health experts recommend seasonal flu vaccines, which “will not prevent bird flu infection,” but does “reduces the risk of becoming sick with both human and avian influenza viruses at the same time,” the state DOH said.
According to the CDC, there had been no human avian flu cases reported in the U.S. since mid-February 2025. In January, the CDC recorded the first H5N1 bird flu death in a patient from Louisiana.
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What People Are Saying
Maurice Pitesky, a veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, told Newsweek in an email Saturday: “It will be interesting to see if this H5N5 is the same one that has been circulating in the Asian flyways. Will have to wait for sequencing results to better clarify where it came from.”
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, told Newsweek in an email on Saturday that the new case: "serve[s] as a reminder that we must continue to be alert to all aspects of influenza because this virus undergoes changes (mutations) that can potentially set off another pandemic (an epidemic that involves the entire globe).
Dr. Scott Lindquest said during a press call Friday: "This is the first one anywhere with H5N5, and certainly the first human case in at least 8 months."
What Happens Next?
The Washington DOH warns people with poultry flocks to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report illness to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) by calling 1-800-606-3056 or reporting online.
Significant spikes in bird flu cases often lead to limited egg supplies, causing prices to surge.
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