Yakima County Resident Dies of H5N1 After Dairy Exposure

The count of U.S. deaths linked to bird flu reached three this week after a Yakima County resident succumbed to complications from the virus.

County health officials confirmed the death on Sunday. The individual had preexisting health conditions and was hospitalized after contracting H5N1. Exposure occurred at a dairy operation with infected cattle.

The Yakima Health District reported that 33 dairy herds in the area recently tested positive for H5N1. Three human cases have been traced to exposure at these dairies. Health workers are currently tracking close contacts of the infected individuals to monitor for symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the strain in the deceased patient as H5N1. This marks the first U.S. death from the disease in one year. Two prior deaths occurred in the United States after the virus became a national public health concern in 2024.

The first recorded death involved an elderly resident in Louisiana in January 2025. That patient had H5N1. A second death occurred in Washington state in November 2025. That patient had the rarer H5N5 strain.

The CDC analyzed the genetic sequence of the virus from the new Washington state case. A CDC spokesperson stated on Monday that the analysis found no changes that would make the virus spread more easily or cause more severe illness.

More than 70 human infections have been reported in the U.S. since the start of 2024. The agency states there is no known person-to-person spread and that the risk to the general public remains low. Officials advise anyone handling sick or dead birds to wear respiratory and eye protection along with gloves. Farm workers are considered to be at higher risk.