Influenza A H5, an avian flu, first time in a human

[Astronuc]

A strain of bird flu never seen in humans infected a Washington state resident and left the person hospitalized, according to state health authorities.

Washington State Department of Health authorities announced that an older resident was hospitalized in early November with flu-like symptoms. Health department spokesperson Roberto Bonaccorso told USA TODAY on Nov. 19 that the person remains hospitalized. The person has underlying health conditions and keeps backyard poultry that were exposed to wild birds.

According to health department officials, the person is the first to be infected with influenza A H5, an avian flu. The risk to the public from bird flu is low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bonaccorso said the health department had seen no other infections related to the case.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/patient-hospitalized-first-human-case-034330047.html

The case out of Grays County, west of Seattle on the Pacific Ocean, is the latest in the spread of bird flu around the nation which has infected over 1,000 dairy cattle herds in 17 U.S. states since the virus was initially found in dairy cows in March 2024, according to the USDA.

There has been one confirmed death in connection with the disease. In early January, a backyard flock keeper hospitalized with bird flu in Louisiana became the first person in the United States to die of the disease after contracting the virus’s D1.1 variant. The individual was older than 65 years old and was reported to have underlying medical conditions.

Well, the article is confusing with declaring 'A strain of bird flu never seen in humans', then giving an example of a "There has been one confirmed death in connection with the disease. In early January, . . . ", unless they are referring to 'influenza' from a type of avian influenza.

Genetic Sequences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses Identified in a Person in Louisiana​

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/spotlights/h5n1-response-12232024.html

Of course, anyone with.a co-morbitiy is at greater risk of mortality with many viral infections.

H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation (November 2025)​

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html