US health officials have reported what is believed to be the first human death caused by the rare H5N5 strain of bird flu, though they stress the risk to the general public remains low.
The case involved an older adult from Grays Harbor County, Washington, who had underlying health conditions. The individual had been hospitalized since early November after developing fever, confusion, and respiratory symptoms, and later tested positive for H5N5.
Health authorities said the person kept a backyard flock of poultry that had been exposed to wild birds, which is believed to be the source of infection. No other people connected to the case have tested positive, and officials say there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated earlier that this case does not suggest an increased public health risk. The H5N5 strain is not currently considered more dangerous to humans than the better-known H5N1 virus, which has caused around 70 mostly mild human infections in the US in recent years, largely among farm workers.
H5N5 differs from H5N1 in a viral protein that affects how the virus spreads between cells, but experts say the overall threat level to the public remains low.
