A teenager is currently in critical condition in a British Columbia children’s hospital, believed to be the first human case of bird flu in Canada.
“This was a healthy teenager prior to this, with no underlying conditions,” provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“This serves as a reminder that this virus can progress rapidly in young individuals, causing severe illness,” Henry added, noting that the teenager’s deterioration was swift.
On Saturday, British Columbia health officials reported that the province had identified Canada’s first human H5 bird flu case in a teenager.
Henry mentioned that they were working to pinpoint the exact strain but believed it was likely H5N1.
The World Health Organization states that H5N1 poses a low risk to humans, given that there’s no evidence of human transmission. However, the virus has recently been detected in more animals, including cattle in the U.S.
Henry withheld details regarding the teenager’s gender and age but confirmed the individual initially showed symptoms on November 2, was tested on November 8, and was subsequently hospitalized. Reported symptoms include conjunctivitis, fever, and coughing.
As of Tuesday, the teen was in the hospital with acute respiratory distress syndrome, Henry said.
The teenager reportedly had no contact with farm animals but had been around pets such as dogs, cats, and reptiles, and the infection source is still unknown. “This is an ongoing investigation,” she noted.
Severe cases are linked to the virus binding to receptors deep within the lungs, Henry explained.
Health officials have tested approximately three dozen close contacts, none of whom have tested positive for the virus.
There’s no current evidence suggesting that the virus spreads easily between people. However, scientists have warned that if it becomes transmissible between humans, a pandemic could arise.
Earlier in November, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that farm workers who may have been exposed to infected animals be tested for bird flu, even if asymptomatic.
Since March, bird flu has affected almost 450 dairy farms across 15 U.S. states, and the CDC has recorded 46 human cases since April.
In Canada, Henry stated that British Columbia has identified at least 26 affected sites across the province, with numerous wild birds testing positive. Canada has reported no cases of bird flu in dairy cattle or any evidence of the virus in milk samples.
