CIDRAP-Yakima County, Washington, reports 2 more avian flu cases, 1 death

[Lance]

Yakima County, Washington, reports 2 more avian flu cases, 1 death

www.cidrap.umn.edu

Yakima County, Washington, reports 2 more avian flu cases, 1 death​

Stephanie Soucheray, MA

Today at 3:32 p.m.
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)


Over the weekend health officials in Yakima County, Washington, said two more people were sickened with H5N1 avian flu, including a person who died after hospitalization for severe illness. The person had underlying health conditions and had contact with infected dairy cows, but no identifying details were released by the county.

While this is a serious and heartbreaking outcome, the risk to the general public remains low.

“Avian influenza can cause severe illness, particularly among people who have underlying health conditions. While this is a serious and heartbreaking outcome, the risk to the general public remains low. We continue to work closely with our public health partners to monitor the situation and protect the health of our community,” said Dave Atteberry, MD, the Yakima Health District health officer, in a press release yesterday.

This the first H5N1 death recorded this year, and the third recorded in the United States since 2024, when H5N1 was first detected in dairy cattle.

Other 2 cases ‘non-severe’​

The third confirmed case-patient in Yakima County has not experienced severe illness or been hospitalized, officials said. Close contacts of all three patients are being monitored, but there is no suggestion of human-to-human transmission.

Yakima County reported the nation’s first human H5N1 case of the year in mid-October, in a person who had a non-severe illness, following the first detection of avian flu in dairy herds in the region.

The county has since become a hot spot of H5N1 activity in dairy herds, and all three case-patients had known contact with infected animals on affected farms.

In the past 30 days, Washington has recorded 34 herds infected with H5N1, all but one in Yakima County. Per state officials, genetic sequencing for the virus detected in cattle from two Yakima County farms indicates a cow-adapted strain (B3.13) that has been circulating in dairy cattle since spring 2024.

H5N1 detected in Colorado milk tank​

In other avian flu news, for the first time since 2024 Colorado has detected the virus during routine milk tank testing, with officials confirming H5N1 at a Weld County dairy.

“This detection underscores the importance of our routine bulk milk tank testing to keep our herds healthy and our food supply secure,” said Colorado State Veterinarian Maggie Baldwin, DVM, in a statement. “Colorado has taken a proactive approach to monitoring and responding to avian influenza, ensuring that early detection leads to swift mitigation measures to protect consumers and our food supply.”

Pasteurization kills H5N1, and the threat of contracting avian flu from pasteurized milk remains extremely low, Baldwin said.