By John Q. Hosedrinker 
AP News reports that a Washington state resident has been diagnosed with H5N5 bird flu, marking the first human case in the nation since February. This is the first known human infection with this specific strain of bird flu. Health officials have stated that the H5N5 virus is not considered a greater threat to human health than the H5N1 virus. The infected individual, who has underlying health conditions, had exposure to domestic poultry which is believed to be the most likely source of the infection.
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Washington resident is infected with a different type of bird flu, and it certainly feels like a moment to pause and take stock. It’s the first confirmed case of H5N5 avian influenza in a human, which, as you can imagine, sets off some immediate alarms. The first COVID case in the US was also in Washington, and it’s hard not to remember that history. It’s like, *opens up drawer full of masks and checks that zoom is still installed*, a feeling that most of us are familiar with by now.
The official reports are reassuring, at least initially. The infected individual is an adult with pre-existing health conditions, who also happens to keep a backyard flock of birds. It sounds like a case of someone being vulnerable, maybe their immune system wasn’t up to the task, and contracting the virus from close contact with their birds. Right now, there is no evidence of the virus spreading from person to person, which is good news. It seems like a sporadic zoonotic spillover – the virus jumping from animals to a human, an isolated incident. Hopefully, it stays that way.
However, the question on everyone’s mind is, “How did this happen?” What makes the health officials decide to do the special testing to detect a bird flu strain? Is it just random, or is there some kind of advanced bird flu detector in all flu tests now? That kind of information would certainly be interesting to know. And while the situation doesn’t seem dire at the moment, it definitely makes you think about past events, and wonder if history is repeating itself.
It’s natural to be a little paranoid, considering how things have played out in the past few years. You find yourself thinking about the flu symptoms you had and trying to work through when they were, and when to expect the next round of challenges. You know, you start to remember things like how you were sick, and how your cats were sick too, but it all worked out in the end. It’s hard not to remember that the west coast has seen things like this before. It is also good to remember that Washington State has a great state and county health departments, which gives some additional reassurance.
It also bears noting that Washington State has a pretty good testing system. That likely contributed to early detection. Maybe it’s a matter of more robust testing leading to earlier detection. Perhaps there’s a higher concentration of virologists in the area who can quickly recognize something out of the ordinary, and because of this, they are more vigilant. This would have led to an earlier detection, just like some other viruses we know. This is all to say, it isn’t surprising that a state with that level of expertise is the first to detect something like this.
A few things stand out. A general agreement is that the situation isn’t likely to be severe, given the current context. It’s important to keep in mind, we don’t know what will happen. It might not spread, or it could mutate. A lot has to go right for a virus to transition to pandemic status.
So, in the meantime, it’s a good reminder to be prepared. Check your mask supply, make sure Zoom is still installed, and remember to wash your hands. Not to panic, but to remain aware. We’ve all learned a lot in the last few years about dealing with these sorts of things.