American becomes world’s first person to die from H5N5 bird flu strain never seen in humans before | 21 Nov 2025 | A Washington state resident has become the first person in the world to die from a strain of a virus that has never been seen before in humans. The patient, an older adult with underlying conditions, was hospitalized with bird flu earlier this month after suffering from a high fever, confusion and severe breathing difficulties, officials said. Lab tests confirmed the patient was infected with H5N5, a strain of bird flu previously detected in animals but never before recorded in people. The person who died from the virus had a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds.