Good morning. This is your Bird Flu update for November 27, 2025.

A tragic milestone was reached this week when a Washington state resident became the first person globally to die from the H5N5 bird flu variant. The Grays Harbor County resident, an older adult with underlying health conditions, passed away after being hospitalized since early November. According to the Washington State Department of Health, testing confirmed the H5N5 virus, marking the first recorded human infection with this specific variant anywhere in the world.

The patient contracted the virus through exposure to a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds. Health officials identified avian influenza virus in the environment surrounding the poultry and determined that contact with the domestic birds, their environment, or wild birds was the most likely source of infection. Public health authorities are monitoring anyone who had close contact with the patient, though there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission of this virus.

Despite this serious development, health officials emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low. The CDC reports that while H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, sporadic human cases continue to occur mainly among dairy and poultry workers. According to CDC surveillance data, seven cases have been detected through national flu surveillance since February 2024.

In the broader Americas region, health officials have documented a total of five countries reporting human cases of avian influenza since 2022, with two deaths. Mexico reported an H5N2 case on October 2, 2025, representing the second human case of that variant in the country. The Pan American Health Organization notes that between 2022 and late November 2025, the Americas region has recorded 5,136 outbreaks of avian influenza in animals across 19 countries and territories.

As of mid-November, the United States alone had detected 3,932 cases of avian influenza in wild birds. Health authorities recommend that people with backyard poultry avoid contact with sick or dead birds and ensure they receive seasonal flu vaccinations. Though the seasonal flu vaccine does not prevent bird flu infection, it reduces the risk of contracting both human and avian influenza simultaneously.

Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thanks for tuning in to this Bird Flu update. Be sure to come back next week for more news and information. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

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