The first human case of H5N5 bird flu infection... There's no evidence of transmission between authorities
Nov 19, 2025
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The virus is said to have been found only in animals so far.
According to the New York Post and other U.S. media, the Washington State Department of Health said the man was hospitalized earlier this month with high fever, confusion, and shortness of breath, and tests confirmed he was infected with H5N5 type bird flu. The patient is known to be elderly and suffer from underlying diseases.
The patient was raising poultry at his Grace Harbor County home on the Pacific coast of southwest Washington state, and two chickens died recently. Considering that wild birds have been able to access the area, health authorities believe that the route of infection is likely to be domestic poultry or wild birds.
The patient is currently hospitalized, and related investigations are ongoing. Washington state health officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission and the risk to the general public is low.
H5N5 is an uncommon virus in the United States, but H5N1 type bird flu has been reported to have infected wild birds, poultry, dairy cattle, and even some humans since 2022. Since 2024, there have been a total of 71 human cases of H5 bird flu in the United States, most of which were mild symptoms, but one person died in Louisiana in January this year.
The infection case represents the unpredictable evolution of the bird flu virus, which experts emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring and preventive measures.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
