Third US bird flu death confirmed in Washington state resident

The patient, a Yakima County resident with underlying conditions, was hospitalised before the death was announced, and officials say the risk to the public remains low.

A Washington state resident has died of bird flu, the third human death from the disease in the US since the H5 strain of avian influenza began spreading from wild birds into dairy cattle, a jump first documented in the country in March 2024. The person, a Yakima County resident, had pre-existing health problems that may have raised their vulnerability, and had already been reported as critically ill and in hospital on Friday before the death was announced Sunday. Local authorities will not disclose the person's name, sex or age, citing the family's privacy. The Yakima Health District's health officer said the outcome is tragic but that the danger to the wider public is still considered low.