Well, it was nice while it lasted. However, one of our few runs of good luck appears to have run out: the first instance of a human contracting H5N1 avian flu cropped up earlier this month.

"A Grays Harbor resident who was hospitalized with influenza symptoms in early November has been confirmed to have influenza A H5, a type of avian influenza. Additional testing shows the virus to be H5N1, an avian influenza virus that has previously been reported in animals but never before in humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH currently consider the risk to the public from avian influenza to be low.

The person is an older adult with underlying health conditions and remains hospitalized. The affected person has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that h

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