A never-before-seen virus in humans has infected a Washington state man.The American man has been infected with a strain of bird flu, the peculiar thing is — the strain has only ever been seen in animals.The New York Post reports the man who was labelled "severely ill" was hospitalized with a high fever, confusion, and respiratory distress.Earlier this month, it was confirmed he had H5N5, a subtype of avian influenza carried by wild birds, like ducks and geese..The Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) has stated the man is older and has underlying health issues.They also say the man has a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home, in Grays Harbor County, which had been exposed to wild birds. They say the investigation into the case is still ongoing, though they say the domestic poultry or wild birds are the "most likely" source of virus exposure. WSDH states the risk to public health remains low..It is unlikely, but the WSDH warns that: "infection with both viruses could result in the emergence of an avian influenza virus that is more easily transmitted from person to person."This is the US's first recorded case of a human carrying avian influenza — and its occurrence, in general, is extremely rare.Back in November 2024, Canada recorded a case of a variation of the avian flu in a human — the H5N1 virus, which is also mainly found in diseased birds.
