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First Suspected Human Death from Rare H5N5 Bird Flu Reported in Washington State

Washington state health officials say an older adult from Grays Harbor County is believed to be the first person to die after infection with the rare H5N5 bird flu. The individual kept a backyard flock exposed to wild birds and was receiving treatment. Authorities emphasize the public risk remains low, are monitoring close contacts, and report no evidence of human-to-human spread. The CDC says the case does not appear to raise overall public health risk, and H5N5 is not currently thought to be more dangerous to humans than recent H5N1 cases.

03:16 PM, 11/22/2025Health
First Suspected Human Death from Rare H5N5 Bird Flu Reported in Washington State

Health officials in Washington state say an older adult from Grays Harbor County is believed to be the first person to die after infection with a rare avian influenza strain, H5N5. The individual, who had underlying health conditions, was receiving medical care following the diagnosis.

Investigators reported the person kept a backyard flock of domestic poultry that had contact with wild birds. Grays Harbor County is about 78 miles (125 kilometers) southwest of Seattle.

“The risk to the public remains low,” state health officials said. “No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza.”

Officials said they will monitor anyone who had close contact with the patient and that there is currently no evidence the H5N5 virus has spread between people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that available information does not indicate this case increases the public health risk.

Public health authorities do not believe H5N5 poses a greater danger to humans than the H5N1 strain linked to roughly 70 reported human infections in the United States in 2024–2025; most of those cases were mild and occurred among workers on dairy and poultry farms.

How H5N5 differs from H5N1

Virologists note the primary difference between H5N5 and H5N1 involves a viral protein that helps release viral particles from infected cells and facilitates spread to neighboring cells. At this time, there is no indication this difference has increased transmissibility or public risk.

Correction: Officials have not released the person’s gender. Earlier reports that identified the deceased as male have been corrected.

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