A person in Washington state is believed to be the first known human to die from the rare H5N5 strain of bird flu, though health officials say the risk to the general public remains low.
The patient, an older adult with underlying health conditions from Grays Harbor County, had been hospitalised since early November after developing fever, confusion and breathing difficulties. Officials said the person kept a backyard flock of poultry that had been exposed to wild birds, which is believed to be the source of infection.
The Washington State Department of Health confirmed no evidence of person-to-person transmission and said no close contacts have tested positive. Monitoring of exposed individuals is ongoing.
The CDC said the case does not change the overall public health risk. Officials noted that H5N5 is not thought to pose a greater risk to humans than the more common H5N1 strain, which has caused dozens of mostly mild cases in US farm workers in recent years.
