Strain of bird flu virus never before reported in people is behind first human case in US in nine months

As of mid-September, 71 human cases of bird flu have been reported in the US as part of the ongoing outbreak, with one death. Cynthia Goldsmith/Jackie Katz/CDC/AP

A Washington resident has been hospitalized with bird flu, according to the Washington State Health Department, and they’re infected with a strain of the virus that hasn’t been seen in humans before.

It’s the first reported case of bird flu in a human in the US in nine months, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the risk to the general public from the virus remains low.

The patient, who has been hospitalized with H5N5 avian influenza since early this month, is described as an older resident of Grays Harbor County who has underlying health issues. It isn’t clear exactly how they caught the virus;