A Washington state man is “severely ill” after contracting a strain of bird flu never seen before in humans, the New York Post reports. The outlet claims the man was hospitalized after exhibiting symptoms such as confusion, high fever, and respiratory distress. According to the outlet, the man was infected with H5N5, a “subtype of avian influenza carried by wild birds like ducks and geese.” More from the New York Post: The Washington State Department of Health described the unidentified patient as being “older” and having “underlying health conditions.” The agency noted that the man has a “mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry” at his home in Grays Harbor County, on the southwest Pacific coast of the state. Two of the birds recently died, the Washington Post reported. Wild birds could also access the property, with agency officials believing that either set of birds is “most likely” the source of the virus exposure. The man remained hospitalized as of last week while the investigation continues. “[H5N5] is not a new strain or completely new virus. It is just the first time we know of that it has infected a person,” one health official said, according to Daily Mail. The bizarre case is reportedly the first bird flu infection detected anywhere in the United States in at least eight months. Daily Mail shared: Officials have followed up with individuals who had contact with the patient and tested those who had symptoms. There were no further cases of bird flu detected as of Friday, officials said. Dr Angela Rasmussen, a virologist in Canada, warned on X: ‘It’s not H5N1, it’s H5N5, but that isn’t a relief to me. It’s a reassortment that put someone in the hospital. This is unpredictable. ‘I hope epidemiologists are investigating to assess who else might have been exposed, so appropriate outbreak investigation and control can be applied.’ Dr William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert in Tennessee, told Newsweek: ‘Infection with H5N5 bird flu virus likely is a rare one-off event that does not have widespread implications for the general public.’ Since the bird flu outbreak began in 2022, most patients have been in either California, 39 confirmed or probable bird flu cases, or Washington, 15 confirmed or probable bird flu cases. In most cases, infections have been linked either to exposure to infected domestic poultry or dairy cows, which have also been infected by the virus.