Health · Public Health & Disease · 1 hr ago
Washington resident dies after contracting bird flu from dairy cattle
A Yakima County, Washington, resident has died after becoming severely ill with H5N1 bird flu.
The person had been exposed to infected dairy cattle and had underlying health conditions, officials said.
This is the third bird flu-related death in the US since 2024 and the first in the country in 2026.
Since 2024, the CDC has recorded 73 human infections with H5 bird flu strains in the US, mostly among people exposed to infected farm animals.
Officials say no human-to-human spread has been documented in the US, and the risk to the general public remains low.
Health authorities are monitoring the person's close contacts for symptoms, while a third person exposed to infected cattle in Washington has tested positive with mild symptoms.
A person in Yakima County, Washington, died after developing severe illness from bird flu, health officials said.
The death is the first US bird flu fatality reported in 2026 and the third in the country since 2024.
The person was exposed to infected dairy cattle and had underlying health conditions.
Officials say the risk to the public is low, and no human-to-human transmission has been documented in the United States.
A third person exposed to infected cattle in Washington also tested positive and had mild symptoms.
- Who
- A person in Yakima County, Washington, whose name, age and gender were not released.
- What
- The person died from complications of bird flu after a severe illness.
- When
- The death was reported on November 1, 2026.
- Where
- Yakima County, Washington, about 140 miles southeast of Seattle.
- Why
- The person caught bird flu after exposure to infected dairy cattle. The person had underlying health conditions.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Yakima County Health District reported that a person exposed to infected cattle had been hospitalized with severe bird flu.
The county reported that the person had died.
CNN and the Daily Mail reported the death as the first US bird flu fatality of 2026.
- Location
- Yakima County, Washington
- Cause of exposure
- Infected dairy cattle
- Fatality status
- First US bird flu death reported in 2026; third since 2024
- Underlying conditions
- The person had underlying health conditions
- Additional case
- A third person exposed to infected cattle tested positive and had mild symptoms
3 sources
What people are saying
The risk of avian influenza infection to the general public remains low.