Yakima County resident dies from bird flu
By Griffin Beach on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
YAKIMA – A Yakima County resident has died after contracting avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, at a dairy with infected cattle.
The Yakima Health District said the individual had underlying health conditions, but withheld further details, including age and gender, out of respect for the family’s privacy.
“While this is a serious and heartbreaking outcome, the risk to the general public
remains low, “said Dr. Dave Atteberry, Health Officer for the Yakima Health District. “We continue to work closely with our public health partners to monitor the situation and protect the health of our community.”
The district also confirmed a third case of bird flu in a county resident who was exposed at a local dairy. The individual has not experienced severe illness or been hospitalized.
Yakima Health said pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume because pasteurization inactivates the virus. They advise against consuming or feeding pets raw dairy products.
State officials said the risk of infection to the general public remains low, and noted there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the disease.
