Overview
- The patient was an older backyard poultry owner from the Grays Harbor area with underlying health conditions who was hospitalized in early November.
- The individual kept a small household flock that had contact with wild birds, according to state health officials.
- No additional human cases have tested positive, and close contacts of the patient are being monitored.
- Authorities say this is the first confirmed human infection with H5N5 and note it is not considered more dangerous to people than H5N1.
- Public-health surveillance of animals and related products continues, as the U.S. has recorded roughly 70 H5N1 human infections since 2024 and Germany has reported intensified avian outbreaks.