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Man infected with H5N5 bird flu strain dies
A Washington state resident who was the first person to be infected with the H5N5 strain of bird flu has died of complications from the virus, CNN reports.
The patient, an older adult with underlying health conditions, kept a backyard flock of mixed domestic birds, making this a likely source of his infection, state health officials said.
While this first infection of the H5N5 is notable, it’s not believed to be a greater threat to human health than the H5N1 virus, which has caused a wave of around 70 reported human infections — most of them poultry and dairy farm workers experiencing mild illness — in the US in 2024 and 2025.
Here are a couple of stories on how to best avoid bird flu infections, and what can be done to prevent the virus spilling over into human to human transmission.
Ben Turner
‘Other’ comet ATLAS disintegrating
Good morning and welcome back, science fans. We’re returning with a fresh batch of science news and more images that show the “other” Comet ATLAS (C/2025 K1) breaking apart.
Scientists initially thought the comet, which is unrelated to the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, survived its recent close approach to the sun. But images from The Virtual Telescope project revealed its tragic demise.
The comet’s disintegration is likely the consequence of the sun’s powerful gravitational pull, which has caused it to splinter into three brighter fragments, photographer Michael Jäger told spaceweather.com.
