Bird Flu Strain Claims Life in Washington: What You Need to Know

A man from Washington state has sadly passed away from a rare type of bird flu. This is the first time this particular strain, called H5N5, has been known to infect a human. The man, who was older and had other health issues, lived near Seattle and took care of chickens in his backyard. Experts think his birds might have caught the virus from wild birds. The good news is that this virus doesn't seem to spread easily between people. Health officials are keeping an eye on anyone who was close to the man, but so far, no one else has gotten sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this case hasn't made the virus a bigger threat to public health. H5N5 is similar to another bird flu strain, H5N1, which has caused some infections in the U. S. recently. Most of those cases were mild, especially in people who work with poultry or dairy farms. The main difference between H5N5 and H5N1 is a tiny part of the virus that helps it spread. Bird flu symptoms can show up quickly. They include fever, cough, and muscle aches. In some cases, people can get very sick, very fast, with problems like pneumonia. To avoid getting bird flu, it's important to stay away from sick birds and clean up properly if you handle poultry.