First Case Of H5N5 Bird Flu Transmitted To Humans Detected In Washington

Illustration of bird flu (Photo: Freepik/EyeEm)

JAKARTA - A man in Washington state is seriously ill after being infected with a bird flu that was previously found only in animals. This case became the first to be recorded as infectious to humans.

The man was hospitalized earlier this month with a high fever, confusion, and respiratory problems. Medical tests then confirmed he was infected with H5N5, avian influenza subtype that is usually carried by wild birds such as ducks and goose.

Reporting from the New York Post page, the Washington State Department of Health said the unidentified patient was an elderly man and had several congenital illnesses.

It is known that he maintains various types of poultry in the yard of his home in Grays Harbor County, the southwestern region of the state.

According to a Washington Post report, two of his pet birds recently died. Wild birds can also enter their property, so health officials believe one of the two poultry groups is most likely a source of virus transmission.

Until the end of last week, the man was still undergoing intensive care while investigations into the source and risk of transmission continued.

Even so, the Washington Department of Health and the CDC confirmed that the risk of transmission to the general public is currently still low. No one else has tested positive for H5N5, and no evidence has been found of the virus being transmitted between humans. But experts still warn that the evolution of the virus could be unexpected.

In the United States, the type of bird flu that is more often found is H5N1, although it is still relatively rare. The difference between H5N1 and H5N5 is in proteins on the surface of the virus. Since 2022, H5N1 has continued to survive in the US region and infect wild birds, pet poultry, dairy cows, to several cases in humans.

Since 2024, 71 cases of H5 bird flu have been recorded in humans in the US. Most of them only experienced mild symptoms, but a patient in Louisiana died in January.