First US Death Recorded This Season as Bird Flu Spreads to Cattle and Poultry
A Washington resident has become the first US victim of H5N1 bird flu this season as the virus impacts dairy cattle and poultry farms nationwide.
POLICY WIRE — Yakima, USA — A resident of Washington has passed away after contracting the H5N1 bird flu, marking the first human fatality associated with the virus during the current season.
The Yakima Health District announced on Sunday that the unidentified patient was hospitalized for critical illness after being exposed to the virus at a dairy operation involving infected cattle. The individual reportedly suffered from underlying health complications.
There has been a third confirmed case of bird flu in Yakima County involving a resident exposed to infected dairy cows, though that individual did not develop severe symptoms or require hospitalization.
Health officials emphasized that the current threat to the general public remains low, despite the rising number of cases among domestic animals.
In early October, Washington documented its first instances of bird flu in cattle at two separate farms. One resident exposed to those animals tested positive but did not become seriously ill.
Data from the Department of Agriculture indicates that nearly 2.6 million birds across various poultry facilities have fallen ill over the past 30 days. However, national egg prices have not yet experienced the dramatic spikes seen in previous years of outbreaks.
Historically, outbreaks at egg-laying farms have caused costs to soar following mass culls. While prices peaked between $8 and $10 per dozen in 2024, the USDA reports the current average is approximately $1.32 per dozen.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
