It's not yet a cause for concern, but the second bird flu death in the United States is raising monitoring levels across the country, despite the extremely rare occurrence of human deaths from a disease mostly killing animals.
A resident of Washington state passed away following an infection from a bird flu strain on Friday, according to a relevant statement by American veterinary services. It was the 2nd recorded human bird flu death in the US this year.
The victim, described as 'an elderly individual with underlying illnesses', was hospitalised in early November and was pronounced dead by the Washington state health authorities.
Testing at Washington University indicated that the patient was suffering from the H5N5 strain, with the ministry noting that this 'is the first known human infection from this particular strain'.
The finding was confirmed by the US Centre For Disease Control, which assured there was no high risk to public health.
'Danger to the general population remains low and there is no proof that this particular strain can transmit from human to human'.
The Washington state victim had poultry in his garden, the most likely source of the infection.
CDC has recorded more than 70 human cases of bird flu in the United States, with a Louisiana resident succumbing to the H5N1 virus last January.
More than a thousand human infections of bird flu were recorded in 2023 across 25 countries, irrespective of strain.
SOURCE: CNA