Washington resident dies from H5N1 complications after dairy exposure

CDC finds no genetic changes that would increase spread or severity

A Yakima County resident with previous health conditions died Sunday from complications of bird flu after being exposed to avian influenza at a dairy with infected cattle, county health officials said. The resident had been hospitalized before dying. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the infection was H5N1. Yakima County officials did not release any additional details about the person.

The fatality was the first U.S. death linked to bird flu in a year. It came as 33 dairy herds in the county had recently tested positive for H5N1. County officials also said three human infections had been linked to exposure at a dairy.

The Yakima Health District is working with the state health department to find people who had close contact with the three infected people and monitor those contacts for symptoms.

The CDC analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus from the person who died and found no changes that would make the virus spread more easily or cause more severe illness, a CDC spokesperson said Monday.

More than 70 human infections have been reported in the United States since the beginning of 2024, according to the CDC. The agency said there is no known person-to-person spread and the risk to the general public is low.

The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals for several years, officials said. Health concerns escalated in early 2024 when infections spread among U.S. livestock.

Officials said the virus’s presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed to it and potentially catch it.

Two other U.S. deaths have been tied to bird flu since it became a national public health concern in 2024. The first, announced in January 2025, was an elderly person in Louisiana who had H5N1. The other death, also in Washington state, occurred in November 2025 from a rarer version called H5N5.

Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry. People who work on farms are considered to be at higher risk.