A Grays Harbor County resident has tested preliminarily positive for avian influenza in the first human case recorded in Washington state this year.

The resident, an older adult with underlying health conditions, was hospitalized in early November with a high fever, confusion and respiratory distress, the state Department of Health said in a news release Thursday. They’re currently receiving treatment at a King County hospital, health officials said.

Further testing to confirm the bird flu case is pending, Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, the state’s health officer, said in a Thursday news briefing. Public health teams are also still working to determine the source of infection, he added.

The health department declined to share further information about the person’s age or gender, citing patien

See Full Page