Bird flu death in Washington marks third human case in US this year

A Yakima County patient with underlying health conditions is the first person in the US to die of avian influenza this year. Health officials are monitoring contacts and say the risk to the public remains low.

A Yakima County resident who caught avian influenza from infected dairy cattle has died, the Yakima Health District announced on Sunday, November 1. The death is the first from bird flu in the United States this year and the third since human infections tied to the current animal outbreaks began in 2024, according to CNN.

The district withheld the individual’s identity, age, and gender to protect familial privacy. Through its November 1 statement, officials disclosed that the patient suffered from pre-existing medical issues, contracted the virus after exposure to contaminated dairy cattle located in Yakima County, and was admitted to the hospital suffering from critical symptoms. That hospital admission had been made public by county authorities the day prior, coinciding with the confirmation of their second documented human infection.

The same announcement also revealed a third confirmed instance involving someone living in the county. That individual has avoided severe illness and has not required hospitalization.

Three cases tied to infected dairy herds

All three Yakima County cases were identified within roughly two and a half weeks, and each followed exposure to infected cows.

The county’s releases do not state the subtype of the virus that infected the three people. The herds themselves carry highly pathogenic H5N1. Federal and state laboratories first confirmed the virus on two Yakima County dairies on October 8, the first known detection in cattle anywhere in Washington. By October 29, 33 dairy herds in the county had tested positive, the health district said.

Washington’s cattle cases arrived more than two years into a national outbreak. When the first Yakima herds were confirmed, the district noted that dairy cattle in 19 states had been infected since the outbreak began in March 2024.

Contact tracing and what “low risk” means

Public health staff are monitoring people who had close contact with the patients for symptoms, and they are working with affected dairies to find workers who may have been exposed to sick animals. Anyone exposed who develops symptoms is being offered testing. The district said it has also worked with partners to get protective equipment to dairies for their workers.

Officials describe the threat to the general public as minimal. Individuals facing elevated danger, the district notes, comprise dairy employees alongside anyone maintaining prolonged or intimate exposure to sick livestock or tainted surroundings. Person-to-person spread of the virus remains exceedingly uncommon and has never been recorded nationwide within the United States, according to the district.

Dr. Dave Atteberry, the district’s health officer, said that while public risk remains low, “we are taking this situation seriously.”

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 72 human cases reported since February 2024 in its most recent situation summary, updated October 15, and described the current public health risk as low. Most people infected in the US worked on farms with infected cattle or poultry, and most illnesses have been mild, CNN reported.

Earlier US deaths were linked to backyard flocks

The initial US fatality occurred in January 2025, following a report from Louisiana stating that an individual over the age of 65 with pre-existing health issues had passed away after contracting a severe case of H5N1. At that time, the CDC announced that no evidence of transmission between humans had been detected. Contact with deceased and infected poultry within a backyard flock had previously been documented for that patient.

The second fatality occurred within Washington as well. During November 2025, an elderly resident suffering from pre-existing health issues, living in Grays Harbor County, passed away following an infection caused by H5N5—a specific strain that had never before been documented in human hosts. The individual maintained a backyard flock of domestic birds that had previously come into contact with wild avian populations.

The fatality in Yakima County contrasts with both cases regarding its origin, stemming from exposure to dairy cattle rather than birds.

What officials recommend

In its October 31 release on the second case, the health district listed precautions for workers and the public:

• Dairy employees showing signs of illness following potential contact with cattle ought to reach out to a medical professional or the public health agency. Indicators may involve eye redness or irritation, a fever, coughing, a sore throat, nasal congestion, body aches, headaches, and tiredness.
• Refrain from handling sick or deceased creatures, animal excrement, and potentially tainted surfaces.
• Pasteurized milk and dairy items remain completely safe, whereas raw or unpasteurized dairy options should be avoided.
• Keep pets away from raw milk, unpasteurized dairy items, and uncooked meat, as felines are exceptionally vulnerable to H5N1.
• Getting a seasonal flu shot is advised for individuals aged 6 months and above. While it does not block avian influenza, it decreases the likelihood of contracting both illnesses simultaneously.
• Quarantine any livestock showing signs of sickness and immediately notify a veterinarian alongside the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

According to CNN, state authorities are also strongly encouraging dairy employees to utilize personal protective gear and to notify supervisors immediately should they develop any symptoms of illness.

The health district said it will post updates on its bird flu page every Monday and Thursday afternoon as the investigation continues.