A Washington state resident has tested positive for bird flu — the first U.S. human case reported in about nine months and the first ever involving the H5N5 strain, health officials said last week.

The case involves a person who lives in Grays Harbor County on the Olympic Peninsula. Washington health officials described the patient as an “older adult” who has underlying health conditions. They said the person has been hospitalized since early November after developing a high fever, confusion and difficulty breathing.

According to a news release , the most likely source of the infection was the person’s backyard flock of mixed “domestic poultry,” which had been exposed to wild birds. The Washington State Health Department and the Washington Department of Agriculture are now looking into

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