A Washington state resident died of bird flu
A Yakima County, Washington, resident died from bird flu after exposure to infected dairy cattle, county health officials said Sunday. The death was the first U.S. bird-flu fatality in a year and the third since the virus began spreading to livestock in 2024. CDC analysis found no changes making the virus easier to spread or more severe.
More context
County health officials said Sunday that a Yakima County, Washington, resident succumbed to bird flu after contact with infected dairy cattle. It is the first U.S. bird flu death in a year and the third U.S. death since the virus began spreading from wild birds to livestock in 2024, according to reports. The person had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized before dying. Three human infections in Washington have been linked to exposure at a dairy, and the Yakima Health District is working with the state health department to identify and monitor close contacts for symptoms. A CDC spokesperson said genetic analysis of the virus from the person who died found no changes that would make it spread more easily or cause more severe illness.
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Reporting
- Greenwich Time — Washington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle - Greenwich Time
- Los Angeles Times — Washington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle - Los Angeles Times
- Chicago Tribune — Washington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle - Chicago Tribune
- HuffPost — Third Person Dies From Bird Flu In U.S. After Exposure To Infected Cattle - HuffPost
- New York Post — Washington state resident dies after contracting bird flu from dairy farm: officials - New York Post
- CNN — Washington reports first US bird flu death of 2026; health officials say risk to the public is low - CNN
- arstechnica.com — Third person dies of bird flu since virus started jumping to livestock - Ars Technica
Verifier’s note
Greenwich Time, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, HuffPost, Ars Technica, the New York Post, and CNN all report that a Washington resident died after bird-flu exposure to infected cattle. The reports are recent and do not contradict the central claim.