Washington bird flu outbreak kills dairy worker in Yakima Valley

Here in Washington, one person has died from the bird flu, marking the first death caused by avian influenza this year. As Fox 13's Taylor Winkle reports, they were exposed at a dairy farm with infected cattle. This happened in Yakima County. The Yakima County Health District says the person had underlying health conditions, but they didn't release any other details like their age or gender all over privacy reasons. They are one of three people who've contracted avian flu from a dairy farm in Yakima just this year. The other two didn't have to be hospitalized, though. United Farm workers believe, though, this is a vast undercount. They say workers report symptoms from mild upper respiratory infection with pink eye to severe flu symptoms with bone pain, severe cough and high fever. They say given the current and ongoing ice surge in the Yakima Valley, many or most of the workers are reluctant to proactively engage with public agencies regarding what to do with infected cattle, milk. and risk mitigation. They say these workers are afraid of retaliation if they don't follow employers' instructions. The State Department of Health says this is the first year bird flu has spread through dairy herds. On their website, they have listed quarantine zones where they'd like flock owners to fill out a survey reporting how their flocks are doing. You might be wondering How somebody could get bird flu from a cow while as wild birds migrate over. For Washington, they can spread bird flu to our area, and when cattle come into contact with infected wild birds or those wild birds contaminate the cattle's environment, they can get the bird flu. Closer to home, a case of bird flu has been confirmed at a poultry facility in Pierce County. The State Department of Agriculture did not name the facility, but says this is the first case found in commercial poultry so far this year. There are several other cases and small backyard flocks reported in Kittitas County right now. CDC says person-to-person spread is extremely when it comes to bird flu. And has never been documented in the U.S. The overall risk to the general public who doesn't work with poultry or dairy is low. For now, reporting in the newsroom, I'm Taylor Winkle, FOX 13 News.