First H5N1 Death in a Year Reported in Washington State
A resident of Yakima County died from avian influenza after exposure to infected cattle, marking the first such fatality in the U.S. since late 2025.
By Thomas Obasi ·
A resident of Yakima County in Washington died from complications of avian influenza, marking the first human death from the disease in the United States in the past year. Local health authorities confirmed the death on Sunday. The individual had preexisting health conditions and was hospitalized before passing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the virus as H5N1. The person was exposed to the strain at a dairy farm where infected cattle were present. Yakima County officials stated that 33 dairy herds recently tested positive for H5N1. Three human infections in the area are linked to exposure at dairy farms.
This is the third death associated with avian influenza in the U.S. since the virus became a national public health concern in 2024. The first occurred in January 2025, involving an elderly person in Louisiana infected with the H5N1 variant. The second was a Washington resident who died in November 2025 from the rarer H5N5 variant. Authorities have not released further details about the latest victim.
The Yakima Health District is working with the state health department to locate close contacts of the three infected individuals. The goal is to monitor these people for symptoms. CDC officials said they sequenced the genetic code of the virus from the deceased patient. A CDC spokesperson stated on Monday that the analysis found no changes making the virus easier to spread or more severe.
More than 70 human cases of H5N1 have been reported in the U.S. since the start of 2024. The agency noted that person to person transmission has not been confirmed. The risk to the general public remains low, according to the CDC. The virus has spread among wild birds, poultry, cows, and other animals for several years.
Health officials said infections among U.S. cattle increased in early 2024. This expansion has raised the likelihood of human exposure. Authorities advise people who handle sick or dead birds to use respiratory and eye protection along with gloves. Workers on farms face a higher risk of exposure than the general public.
