Preliminary case of bird flu in Washington state would be U.S.'s first in 9 months

Health officials successful Washington authorities accidental they person identified the nation’s archetypal quality lawsuit of vertebrate flu since February, pending confirmatory testing

Health officials successful Washington authorities accidental they person identified the nation's archetypal quality lawsuit of vertebrate flu since February, pending confirmatory testing.

A Grays Harbor County, Washington, nonmigratory preliminarily tested affirmative for the infection, the Washington State Department of Health said Thursday. Health officials accidental they're inactive investigating the root of the infection, including interaction with chaotic oregon home birds.

The diligent is an older big with underlying wellness conditions, authorities wellness officials said. They developed a precocious fever, confusion, and respiratory distress and were hospitalized successful aboriginal November. The person's attraction is ongoing.

There person been 26 quality infections of vertebrate flu confirmed truthful acold this twelvemonth astir the satellite done Aug. 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of them, 23, were recovered extracurricular the U.S., and 11 radical died. The nine-month spread successful caller cases successful the U.S. has stumped wellness experts tracking the virus' spread.

In 2024 and aboriginal 2025, infections were reported successful 70 radical successful the U.S. — astir of them workers connected dairy and poultry farms. One idiosyncratic died, but astir of the infected radical had mild illnesses.

While the U.S. hadn’t seen a quality corruption successful months, vertebrate flu cases person been happening precocious successful poultry flocks and livestock.

In the past month, astir 70 U.S. poultry flocks — either commercialized oregon backyard — were recovered to have vertebrate flu infections, with much than 1.7 cardinal birds affected, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. The past confirmed livestock detection was astir a period agone successful Idaho dairy cows, according to USDA.

The CDC characterizes the hazard to the wide nationalist arsenic low, though it is higher for radical who enactment with cattle and poultry oregon who are successful interaction with chaotic birds.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely liable for each content.

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