First Ever Human Case of H5N5 Bird Flu Confirmed in Washington

WooGlobe

A Washington state resident has been hospitalized with H5N5 bird flu — a strain never before seen in humans. The patient, an older adult with underlying health conditions, fell seriously ill after exposure to domestic and wild birds. Health officials say this is the first human case of H5N5, a virus previously found only in animals.  While the risk to the public remains low, experts warn this case highlights the unpredictable evolution of bird flu and the growing risk of animal-to-human transmission. With millions of birds affected across the U.S. and more cases expected during bird migration season, virologists are keeping a close watch.  Watch the full video to understand what this could mean for the future of public health. WooGlobe Ref : WGA152654 For licensing and to use this video, please email licensing@wooglobe.com

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00:00A virus never seen in humans, until now.

00:03In Washington state, an elderly resident has been hospitalized with a virus no human has

00:08ever had before, H5N5 bird flu.

00:11This patient became severely ill earlier this month after showing signs of high fever, confusion,

00:17and serious breathing trouble.

00:19Doctors transferred them to a specialist hospital near Seattle, and lab tests revealed something

00:23shocking, not the common H5N1 strain, but H5N5, a version of bird flu only ever seen in animals.

00:32Officials believe the infection likely came from the patient's own backyard birds.

00:36Two of them died mysteriously just weeks before the patient fell ill.

00:40So far, no one else around them has tested positive, but scientists are on high alert.

00:45Virologists warn this shows how unpredictable bird flu evolution can be.

00:49Though there's no current evidence that H5N5 spreads between humans, the fear is real.

00:55Experts stress the public risk is still low.

00:58But with bird flu hitting millions of birds and hundreds of farms, especially during migration

01:03season, the virus is getting more chances to mutate.

01:06And that's how pandemics begin.

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