First Human Bird Flu Case In The U.S. Occurs After 9 Months. Here’s What To Know

PESCADERO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 20: A view of chickens and a rooster at a farm as California declares state of emergency to prevent new public health crisis on Bird flu in Pescadero, California, United States on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu via Getty Images

A Washington resident has been hospitalized with a strain of bird flu that has not been seen in humans before, according to the Washington State Health Department.

Since 2024, there have been 70 reported human cases of bird flu in the United States, all occurring from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu. The case at hand in the Washington state resident resulted from infection of the H5N5 strain of the bird flu, making it the first human case reported in the United S