Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Cowlitz County health officer: rare Washington H5N5 human case, public risk remains low; biosecurity urged
Summary
Cowlitz County Health Officer Dr. Steve Krager told the Board of Health that a rare human H5N5 case in Grays Harbor likely came from a backyard flock and that public risk remains low. He and WSU Extension advised biosecurity for backyard flocks, PPE for poultry workers and hygiene measures.
Cowlitz County Health Officer Dr. Steve Krager told the Board of Health the county is monitoring a rare human infection tied to avian influenza and urged residents to practice basic biosecurity and hygiene.
Dr. Krager said the recent Washington case involved an H5N5 strain and that the person — an elderly individual with underlying conditions — was likely exposed to an infected backyard flock. "The risk remains quite low," he said, adding that there is no evidence the virus has spread from person to person in that investigation.
The board heard that avian influenza primarily affects wild birds and poultry; the term "highly pathogenic" describes severity in birds rather than humans. Krager described how…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
