16 October 2026
Public health surveillance in the Pacific Northwest has confirmed a human case of avian influenza in a Yakima County agricultural worker following direct exposure to infected dairy cattle.
The infection was confirmed by the Yakima Health District and the Washington State Department of Health. The case follows the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at two commercial dairy farms in the county, which were subsequently placed under quarantine. The detections also mark the first identification of influenza A virus in cattle in Washington State.
According to health authorities, the affected individual developed mild symptoms, did not require hospitalization, and is recovering at home under isolation protocols.
