WDH: Wyoming’s 1st human bird flu case confirmed

CHEYENNE (WNE)  — Wyoming’s first case of H5N1 avian influenza in a human has been confirmed in a Platte County older adult, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

The woman represents the third confirmed hospitalization related to H5N1 in the United States.

“While this is a significant development as bird flu activity is monitored in Wyoming and across the country, it is not something we believe requires a high level of concern among most Wyoming residents,” Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health, said in the release.

Harrist said the woman is hospitalized in another state, has health conditions that can make people more vulnerable to illness, and was likely exposed to the virus through direct contact with an infected poultry flock at her home.

H5N1 has been known to be infecting wild birds in Wyoming for some time now, with the currently circulating virus spreading nationally since 2022. Infections among poultry and dairy cattle have also occurred previously in Wyoming.

“Experts continue to track the spread of H5N1 through wild birds, poultry and dairy cattle across the country. A small number of people have also been infected. Most of those confirmed cases involved on-the-job close contact with poultry or cattle and mild symptoms,” Harrist said. “Unfortunately, this patient’s experience has been much more serious.

“We want to remind people there has been no documented human-to-human virus transmission of this virus in the United States so far,” Harrist said. “Our staff has followed up with other people who had contact with the flock and the patient, and will continue working with state and national experts to monitor the situation carefully for Wyoming.”

This story was published on February 15, 2025.