First US Bird Flu Death Reported in Washington State

A resident of Yakima County, Washington, died on Sunday after contracting avian influenza, local health officials confirmed. The individual was hospitalized with severe illness following exposure to infected cattle at a local dairy. Health authorities identified the case in a news release issued on Sunday.

This is the first death in the United States attributed to complications from bird flu in the current year, according to the Associated Press. The patient had underlying health conditions, though officials did not release the individual’s name. The Yakima health district said it was monitoring human cases in coordination with the Washington state department of health.

Since early October, 33 dairy herds in Yakima County have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The health district reported three confirmed human cases in the county. The latest death involves the second of these three cases. The third confirmed case involves an individual exposed to infected dairy cattle who has not required hospitalization.

Officials stated that the risk of infection for the general public remains low. They noted that dairy workers and those with prolonged contact with infected animals face higher risks. County leaders emphasized that human-to-human transmission is extremely rare and has never been documented in the US.

The district said it is contacting close contacts of the deceased to monitor for symptoms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 72 human cases of bird flu nationwide since 2024. The agency maintains that there is no known person-to-person spread. The CDC first announced a US death from bird flu complications in January 2025.