OTTAWA, Nov 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first presumed human case of avian influenza (H5N1, or bird flu) has been reported in Canada.
Canada’s Health Minister Mark Holland confirmed the report in a post on X.
“To date, there has been no evidence of person-to-person spread of the virus in any of the cases identified globally,” he wrote.
“Based on current evidence in Canada, the risk to the general public remains low.”
Holland also noted that the Public Health Agency of Canada is working with the BC (British Columbia) Centre of Disease Control and Office of the Provincial Health Officer, and that the agencies “will remain in close contact to protect Canadians.”
The patient, a teenager in British Columbia, is currently being treated at BC Children’s Hospital, according to a press release from the BC government.
“A public-health investigation has been initiated to determine the source of exposure and identify any contacts,” the province stated in the release.
“The source of exposure is very likely to be an animal or bird, and is being investigated by B.C.’s chief veterinarian and public health teams.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with the BC Centre of Disease Control and Office of the Provincial Health Officer to investigate the case, according to a statement. (iStock)
In the US, as of Nov 8, there were a total of 46 confirmed reported human cases of bird flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A majority of the US cases have been in California (21), Washington (11) and Colorado (10). — NNN-AGENCIES
