Yakima County Resident Dies After Bird Flu Infection

The resident was hospitalized with severe illness after exposure to infected cattle at a dairy, the Yakima Health District said. The person had underlying health conditions. Officials did not release the person’s name or other identifying details.

The death is the third in the United States linked to bird flu since 2024, when H5N1 infections were detected in dairy cattle. The earlier deaths were a Louisiana resident in January 2025 and a Washington state resident in November 2025, who had a different bird flu strain.

Yakima County officials also announced a third human infection in the county. That person had contact with infected dairy cattle, is experiencing minor symptoms and is receiving care outside a hospital. All three human cases in Washington since mid-October have been linked to exposure to infected cows.

The health district is working with state officials to identify and monitor people who had close contact with the person who died. Officials say dairy workers and others with prolonged or close contact with infected animals or contaminated environments face greater risk, while the public’s risk is still considered low. No human-to-human transmission has been documented in the United States.

Thirty-three dairy herds in Washington have tested positive for H5N1 since October 8. The CDC has recorded more than 70 human bird flu infections in the country since 2024. A CDC spokesperson said an analysis of the virus taken from the deceased person found no changes that would make it transmit with greater ease or lead to more severe illness.