There have been 14 recorded cases of avian influenza among humans in Washington, but none in Clark County. Local health officials still consider the risk to the general public to be low.
State and federal health officials have been monitoring H5N1, a strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, that is highly contagious and deadly to chickens and cattle. As of Nov. 6, there were 11 confirmed cases and three probable cases of bird flu among humans in Washington due to poultry exposure, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
The first human cases of bird flu were reported in October in Washington. But to date, there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of bird flu, the health department said. For one case with exposure to poultry in Washington, officials could not confirm the person’s place of residence, the health department said.
Avian influenza was first detected in the United States in January 2022 and in Washington in a backyard flock in May 2022, according to the state health department.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first fatality in the U.S. due to bird flu Monday. A Louisiana resident, who was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, died after being hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu.
“While tragic, a death from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death,” the CDC said on its website. “CDC has carefully studied the available information about the person who died in Louisiana and continues to assess that the risk to the general public remains low.”
On Thursday, the Biden administration said it was committing $306 million toward improving hospital preparedness, diagnostics and vaccines related to bird flu, according to The New York Times.
Roberto Bonaccorso, a state health department spokesman, agreed the risk to the general public is low. In an email, he shared what the state health department advises. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Avian influenza is a disease caused by influenza Type A viruses that naturally occur in wild aquatic birds throughout the world. These viruses can also infect other species of birds, and occasionally mammals, and can cause significant mortality in poultry.
- How does avian influenza spread to humans?
On rare occasions, avian influenza viruses infect people and make them sick. Most instances of people becoming infected with avian influenza have happened after prolonged, close contact with animals infected with avian influenza or environments contaminated with avian influenza.
People with job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds, cattle, or other potentially infected domestic or wild animals are at higher risk and should take precautions, including wearing personal protective equipment such as a mask, gown, gloves and eye protection.
- How can the community avoid contracting avian influenza?
Avoid raw, unpasteurized milk and do not feed it to your pets. (Additionally, the CDC warns against human and pet consumption of all raw meat products, including frozen and freeze-dried meat and poultry. Cooking meat or pasteurizing raw milk destroys the bird flu virus.)
- What should people do if they believe they or any of their animals have contracted avian flu?
People with backyard poultry should report any sick or dead birds to the Washington State Department of Agriculture at 1-800-606-3056 or report sick domestic birds online. Veterinarians should report sick or dead domestic animals or livestock suspected of having avian influenza to the agriculture department at fortress.wa.gov/agr/apps/rad/.
Avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife and report sick or dead wild birds or other animals to the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife. The state health department reminds the community to never handle or allow pets near dead birds or other wildlife.
