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A Washington state resident died after contracting bird flu and being hospitalized with severe illness following exposure to avian influenza at a dairy with infected cattle in Yakima County.

Health officials said the individual had underlying or previous health conditions. The person's identity had not been released, according to The Guardian World, and the supplied reporting does not provide the person's age or specify those conditions.

The death was reported as occurring on Sunday, according to The Guardian World. The available reports do not establish the exact calendar date of death or identify the precise avian-influenza strain involved.

STAT and MedPage Today characterized the case as the first reported U.S. bird-flu death in a year. That description is limited to the characterization in those reports and does not establish a broader claim about all bird-flu deaths.

PBS NewsHour reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to the general public low and urges precautions for people who come into contact with sick or dead birds. The supplied reporting does not detail the patient's clinical complications or describe any wider transmission linked to the case.

SOURCES

  1. The Guardian WorldWashington state resident dies from ‘severe illness’ after contracting bird flu
  2. MedPage TodayWashington State Resident Dies From Bird Flu Following Exposure to Infected Cattle
  3. STATWashington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle
  4. PBS NewsHourWashington state resident dies from bird flu following exposure to infected cattle