Possible human bird flu case in Washington state, first in U.S. in 9 months

Health officials in Washington state say they have identified the nation’s first human case of bird flu since February, pending confirmatory testing.

A Grays Harbor County, Washington, resident preliminarily tested positive for the infection, the Washington State Department of Health said Thursday. Health officials say they’re still investigating the source of the infection, including contact with wild or domestic birds.

The patient is an older adult with underlying health conditions, state health officials said. They developed a high fever, confusion, and respiratory distress and were hospitalized in early November. The person’s treatment is ongoing.

There have been 26 human infections of bird flu confirmed so far this year around the world through Aug. 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of them, 23, were found outside the U.S., and 11 people died. The nine-month gap in new cases in the U.S. has stumped health experts tracking the virus’ spread.

In 2024 and early 2025, infections were reported in 70 people in the U.S. — most of them workers on dairy and poultry farms. One person died, but most of the infected people had mild illnesses.

While the U.S. hadn’t seen a human infection in months, bird flu cases have been happening recently in poultry flocks and livestock.

In the past month, nearly 70 U.S. poultry flocks — either commercial or backyard — were found to have bird flu infections, with more than 1.7 million birds affected, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. The last confirmed livestock detection was about a month ago in Idaho dairy cows, according to USDA.

The CDC characterizes the risk to the general public as low, although it is higher for people who work with cattle and poultry or who are in contact with wild birds.