A Washington state man is severely ill after contracting a strain of bird flu never before seen in humans, according to reports. The individual was hospitalized with symptoms including confusion, high fever, and respiratory distress. The infection involves H5N5, a subtype of avian influenza carried by wild birds like ducks and geese. The Washington State Department of Health described the unidentified patient as older with underlying health conditions, having a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at his home in Grays Harbor County. Two birds recently died, and wild birds could also access the property, with officials believing either set of birds is most likely the source of the virus exposure. The man remains hospitalized as of last week while the investigation continues. A health official noted that H5N5 is not a new strain or completely new virus, but the first time it has infected a person. The case is reportedly the first bird flu infection detected anywhere in the United States in at least eight months. Officials have followed up with individuals who had contact with the patient and tested those who had symptoms. There were no further cases of bird flu detected as of Friday. Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist in Canada, warned on X: ‘It’s not H5N1, it’s H5N5, but that isn’t a relief to me. It’s a reassortment that put someone in the hospital. This is unpredictable. I hope epidemiologists are investigating to assess who else might have been exposed, so appropriate outbreak investigation and control can be applied.’ Dr William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert in Tennessee, told Newsweek: ‘Infection with H5N5 bird flu virus likely is a rare one-off event that does not have widespread implications for the general public.’ Since the bird flu outbreak began in 2022, most patients have been in either California, 39 confirmed or probable bird flu cases, or Washington, 15 confirmed or probable bird flu cases. In most cases, infections have been linked either to exposure to infected domestic poultry or dairy cows, which have also been infected by the virus.
