00:00The first confirmed human death of the H5N5 strain of avian influenza,
00:05commonly known as bird flu, has been reported in the U.S. state of Washington.
00:09That's raised concerns in Taiwan about further human transmissions.
00:14Taiwanese health officials say people should stay careful,
00:17but that the risk of human-to-human spread remains low.
00:30According to U.S. authorities,
00:46the Washington state resident who died was elderly and had several chronic health conditions
00:50and was raising domestic birds.
00:52There have been over 65 human cases in the U.S. to date,
00:56nearly all of them among people working closely with animals
00:59and most experiencing only mild symptoms, according to U.S. CDC data.
01:05In Taiwan, authorities say there have been 72 outbreaks of the flu in local bird populations,
01:10but none in humans so far.
01:12The government has nevertheless taken some precautions.
01:14Taiwan's health authorities say they are continuing to identify potential instances of human contact with infected birds
01:40and conduct testing, while closely monitoring the situation in the U.S. and at home.
01:45Scott Huang and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.
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