HealthTuesday, November 3
A Yakima County resident died of bird flu Sunday, the first known U.S. bird flu death of 2026
The Daily Yakima team
If you live in Yakima County, the risk to the general public remains low, the Yakima Health District says. A resident exposed to infected dairy cattle died Sunday of avian influenza complications and had underlying health conditions.
The patient was tested Oct. 31 and died Nov. 1
- Oct. 8The first two positive dairy herds are reported.
- Oct. 31A patient is tested for bird flu and reported hospitalized with severe illness.
- Nov. 1The person dies.
Sources: Nonstop Local News, CNN, Yakima Herald-Republic
The district also reported a third confirmed human case, also tied to dairy cattle, with no severe illness. Dr. Dave Atteberry said a special test is needed, so a routine viral panel can come back negative after exposure. The district asks anyone with symptoms to contact it for an appointment rather than go to a provider.
- Symptoms: eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue
- Dairy workers with symptoms: call 509-480-3770
- Case counts update Mondays and Thursdays at 2 p.m.
- Pasteurized dairy products are safe, officials said
Yakima County has three confirmed human cases this year
- 3
- confirmed human cases in Yakima County
- 1
- known U.S. bird flu death in 2026
- More than 70
- U.S. human cases recorded by the CDC since 2024
Sources: CNN, Nonstop Local News
Contacts of the person who died are being monitored, and no human-to-human spread has been documented in the US. Gov. Bob Ferguson said workers at affected farms are advised to take safety precautions.
Sources: Yakima Herald-Republic, Nonstop Local News, CNN, FOX 13 Seattle