Third U.S. Bird Flu Death Since Virus Spread to Dairy Cattle
A Yakima County resident has died after contracting H5N1 bird flu following exposure to infected dairy cattle, marking the third U.S. death linked to the
A Yakima County resident has died after contracting H5N1 bird flu following exposure to infected dairy cattle, marking the third U.S. death linked to the virus since it began spreading among livestock. Health officials say the risk to the wider public remains low.
The person, who had underlying health conditions, was hospitalized and died Sunday, the Yakima Health District said. The death is the first in the United States from bird flu complications in 2026. Officials did not release the person’s name.
Human infections in Washington
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the virus as H5N1. Washington health officials have reported three human infections in Yakima County since the virus was found in dairy cattle in the state. The latest case involved someone exposed to dairy cattle and was not described as a severe illness.
Avian influenza viruses mainly circulate among birds, but the H5 strain spread to dairy cows in 2024. Most reported U.S. human infections have involved people who worked on farms with infected cattle or poultry, and officials have characterized most illnesses as mild.
There have been two other U.S. deaths since the outbreak became a public health concern: an elderly person in Louisiana who died in 2025 after infection with H5N1, and a Washington resident who died that November from the rarer H5N5 strain.
Public risk remains low
Yakima County officials said 33 dairy herds had recently tested positive for H5N1. The district’s health officer, Dr. Dave Atteberry, said the virus can cause serious illness, particularly in people with existing health problems, while stressing that the risk to the general public remains low.
The deaths and new infections are being monitored by health officials as the virus continues to be detected in cattle. The CDC has recorded more than 70 human bird flu cases in the United States since 2024.
