First US Death from Rare H5N5 Bird Flu

The United States has recorded its first fatality from the rare H5N5 strain of avian influenza, after an elderly man in Washington State died from the infection, health officials confirmed.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, the man had underlying health conditions and became infected after his backyard poultry were exposed to wild birds in Grays Harbor County, roughly 125 kilometers southwest of Seattle.

Health authorities emphasised that the risk to the public remains low. No additional human cases of H5N5 have been detected, and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. 

Officials are monitoring individuals who had direct contact with the patient as part of routine precautionary measures.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated earlier that the case does not indicate any increased threat to public health.