The man in Washington state had a backyard flock of domestic poultry that had been exposed to wild birds, health officials said

A US man is believed to be the first person to die from a rare strain of bird flu , but state health officials said on Friday the risk to the public is low.

The man in Washington state, an older adult with underlying health conditions, was being treated for a bird flu strain called H5N5 after becoming seemingly the first known human infected by the strain, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Health.