‘Rare event’: Canada records its first human bird flu case

A teen from British Columbia tested affirmative for nan H5 avian flu, and wellness authorities are investigating.

Canada has confirmed its first quality lawsuit of vertebrate flu aft a teen tested affirmative for nan virus, according to wellness authorities.

The teenager, from nan occidental state of British Columbia, is believed to person caught nan H5 avian flu from a vertebrate aliases animal, said a connection by nan state connected Saturday. The infected personification is undergoing curen astatine a children’s hospital.

The state said it was tracing nan teenager’s contacts to pinpoint nan root of nan contagion.

“This is simply a uncommon event,” British Columbia Health Officer Bonnie Henry said successful a statement. “We are conducting a thorough investigation to afloat understand nan root of vulnerability present successful BC.”

Canada’s Health Minister Mark Holland assured members of nan nationalist that nan consequence to them remains low.

1/ The Office of nan Provincial Health Officer successful British Columbia has reported a presumed quality lawsuit of H5 avian influenza acquired successful Canada.https://t.co/tinqvb5DB5

— Mark Holland (@markhollandlib) November 10, 2024

H5 vertebrate flu is wide successful chaotic birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks successful poultry and United States dairy cows, pinch respective caller quality cases among US dairy and poultry workers.

The microorganism is besides suspected of killing dozens of captive tigers and different zoo animals successful Vietnam.

There has been nary grounds of person-to-person dispersed truthful far. But if that were to happen, a pandemic could unfold, scientists person warned.

Earlier successful November, nan US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked that workplace workers who person been exposed to animals pinch vertebrate flu beryllium tested for nan microorganism moreover if they do not person symptoms.

Bird flu has infected astir 450 dairy farms successful 15 US states since March, and nan CDC has identified 46 quality cases of vertebrate flu since April.

In Canada, British Columbia has identified astatine slightest 22 infected poultry farms since October, and galore chaotic birds tested positive, according to nan province.

Canada has had nary cases reported successful dairy cattle and nary grounds of vertebrate flu successful samples of milk.

In nan decades since H5 has been recovered successful humans, location person been uncommon cases wherever an animal root cannot beryllium identified.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies