A Washington state resident has died from bird flu after exposure to infected dairy cattle, health officials have confirmed, in the first US bird flu death of 2026. The Washington bird flu death was announced by the Yakima Health District, which said the resident died on Sunday, 1 November, after being hospitalised with a severe illness.
The person, a Yakima County resident, had underlying health conditions and was exposed to avian influenza at a dairy with infected cattle, county health officials said. Out of respect for the family, officials have not released the person’s name, age or gender.
FAKTA
- Who died: A Yakima County resident, hospitalised with severe illness after exposure at a dairy with infected cattle; the person died on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
- The virus: H5N1 avian influenza, confirmed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Why it matters: The first US bird flu death of 2026, and only the third US death tied to bird flu since 2024.
- Local outbreak: Three human infections linked to dairy exposure in Yakima County; 33 dairy herds in the county have tested positive for H5N1.
- Public risk: Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low, with no known person-to-person spread.
Washington bird flu death confirmed in Yakima County
The Yakima Health District said the resident was one of three people in the county diagnosed with avian influenza after exposure to infected dairy cattle. A third confirmed case, also linked to a Yakima County dairy, has not caused severe illness and the person has not been hospitalised, officials said.
The district is working with the state health department to find people who were in close contact with those infected and to monitor them for symptoms, county officials said.
CDC: no worrying genetic changes found
The CDC said the person who died was infected with H5N1, and that analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus found no changes that would make it spread more easily between people or cause more severe illness, a CDC spokesperson said on Monday.
More than 70 human infections have been reported in the United States since the beginning of 2024, according to the CDC, but there is no known person-to-person spread of the virus, the agency says.
Third US death since 2024
Two other US deaths have been tied to bird flu since it became a national public health concern in 2024. The first, announced in January 2025, was an elderly person in Louisiana who had H5N1. The other, in Washington state, died in November 2025 from a rarer version of the virus known as H5N5.
This latest death is the first in the United States in which the person was exposed to the virus on a dairy farm, according to county health officials.
Dairy outbreak spread across central Washington
Washington confirmed its first H5N1 infections in dairy cattle on 8 October, at two Yakima County dairies, and the outbreak has since spread rapidly. County officials have reported 33 infected herds in Yakima County, and the virus has also reached a dairy in neighbouring Benton County. US Department of Agriculture figures reported in late October put the statewide total at about 40 infected herds.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called the death a serious and heartbreaking outcome, while echoing health officials that the risk to the general public remains low. Officials continue to urge people who have contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including wearing respiratory and eye protection and gloves, and caution against consuming unpasteurised milk and dairy products from infected animals.
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