WASHINGTON:

A resident of Washington state has died after contracting a rare strain of bird flu previously only reported in animals, state health officials said -- the second human fatality linked to the virus in the United States this year.

The patient was only identified as "an older adult with underlying health conditions" and had been hospitalized since early this month, the Washington state department of health said Friday.

Tests conducted by the University of Washington confirmed the patient was suffering from H5N5 avian influenza, the department said in a statement, calling it "the first recorded infection with this variant in a person globally."

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