A Washington resident has been hospitalized for avian influenza and has been confirmed to be infected with a virus never seen before in humans, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
The patient who was hospitalized for H5N5 avian influenza in early November is an elderly resident of Grays Harbor County and has underlying medical conditions.
It is not yet clear how the patient was infected with the virus. Local and state public health and agricultural officials are investigating, but they suspect he may have been in contact with poultry raised in his home garden.
This is the first case of avian influenza in humans reported in the US in the past 9 months, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the risk of infection with this virus for the community is still low.
avian influenza virus is spread through animal saliva, mucus and feces, or through milk from dairy cows. The risk of avian influenza in general increases in late fall and winter when birds migratory and come into contact with other animals such as poultry in the garden.
avian influenza has been spreading to wild birds around the world for decades, but the recent outbreak in the US began in January 2022 and has spread to more damaged animals than in previous years.
No cases of human-to-person transmission have been reported in the US, but public health leaders in Washington are contacting people who may have been in close contact with the patient in Grays Harbor to check for symptoms and suggest testing and treatment.
Although the overall risk to the community is low, Dr. Richard Webby - Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Center for Ecoscology of influenza in animals and birds - said that this type of virus still has the "possible to cause epidemics".
According to the US CDC, 70 other cases of avian influenza in humans have been reported in the US during the ongoing outbreak. One person died in January, also elderly and had underlying medical conditions.
Although there are a few severe cases, most of those infected are mildly ill, with symptoms such as red eyes and fever.
Most people with avian influenza work close to animals. There were 41 cases in people working with livestock and 24 cases in people working in the poultry sector. The other two cases have come into contact with some other animals and there are 3 cases of unknown cause of disease.
The US CDC recommends that anyone working close to animals should wear appropriate protective gear and be cautious when exposed to animal feces.
