Canada detects first human case of H5 bird flu

The provincial government said in a statement that the teenager likely contracted the virus from a bird or animal and is currently being cared for at a children's hospital.

The province also said it is investigating the source of the infection and identifying people who came into contact with the teenager. Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland said the risk to the public remains low.

“This is a rare event, and we are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure in British Columbia,” British Columbia Chief Health Officer Bonnie Henry said in a statement.

H5 avian influenza spread widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cattle in the United States with several recent human cases among poultry and dairy workers.

Scientists say there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission so far. But if that were to happen, a pandemic could break out.

In early November, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) required farm workers who had contact with animals infected with avian influenza to be tested for the virus even if they had no symptoms.

Avian influenza has infected nearly 450 dairy farms in 15 US states since March, and the CDC has identified 3 human cases of avian influenza since April.

In Canada, the province of British Columbia has identified at least 22 farms with infected poultry since October, and several wild birds have tested positive.

Canada now There have been no reports of illness in dairy cows and no evidence of avian influenza in milk samples.