First human to contract virus never seen before in humans left ‘severely ill’
The first human to contract a virus which has never been seen before in humans has been left 'severely ill'.
The unnamed individual, who hails from Washington in the United States, is now being treated in hospital after falling seriously ill with a strain of avian flu not previously found in humans.
Doctors have since confirmed he had contracted H5N5, a type of bird flu which is usually seen in ducks, geese and other wild birds.
According to officials, the man was admitted with a high fever, confusion and breathing problems.
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He is reportedly an 'older patient with underlying health conditions' and kept a 'mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild birds' in Grays Harbor County, which is in the southwest region of the US state.
Given that wild birds could also reach the property, investigators see it as the most likely source of exposure.
No other infections have been detected at this current point, and there is also no sign of person-to-person spread. However, experts said that the evolution of a virus could be 'unpredictable'.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH currently consider the risk to the public from avian influenza to be low," the Washington State Department of Health assure.
The agency adds: "The risk of avian influenza increases in the fall and winter because migratory birds can carry the virus and spread it to domestic animals, including commercial poultry farms and backyard flocks.
"Transmission of avian influenza between humans is extremely rare and has never been documented in the United States. To ensure that human-to-human spread is not occurring, public health officials are contacting anyone who has been in close contact with the patient to monitor for symptoms and provide testing and treatment as needed."
H5N5 sits apart from H5N1, the more familiar strain circulating in the US, due to a protein on the virus surface.
H5N1 has been present in wild and domestic birds since 2022 and has caused dozens of human cases across the country.
According to the CDC, there have been 71 human cases of H5 bird flu recorded in the US since 2024. While most were mild, one patient in Louisiana died earlier this year.
The UK has also logged cases in several regions, including Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Scotland and Wales.
Common symptoms include high fever, cough, sore throat and body aches.
Rhiannon Ingle