Washington has confirmed its first human case of H5N1 bird flu, a Yakima County farm worker exposed to infected dairy cattle.

Announced on 15 October, it is the first human H5N1 case reported in the United States in 2026.

The worker was not severely ill or hospitalised and is isolating at home. Close contacts are being asked to monitor for symptoms.

The virus was found in two Yakima County dairy herds on 8 October, the first known cases in Washington dairy cattle.

Before that, more than 7,000 state surveillance tests had come back negative over two years.

Both farms are under quarantine with biosecurity measures, and veterinarians are treating the sick cows.

State Veterinarian Amber Itle has asked farms to strengthen biosecurity and quickly report signs of illness in animals.

Close contacts will be monitored for 14 days after their last exposure, with access to testing and treatment if needed.

Read the full article for more details on Washington’s H5N1 case.