NEW YORK — A Canadian teenager is currently in critical condition, suspected of having contracted bird flu, according to a health official from British Columbia.
As reported by Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s chief health officer, it remains unclear how the teenager became infected with the virus, particularly since there are no known contacts with infected birds or other animals. Recent instances of the virus have been identified in both wild avian populations and domestic poultry within the region.
Details surrounding the patient have been kept relatively private. Dr. Henry shared that the teen was in good health prior to the onset of symptoms, including eye redness, cough, and fever, which began more than a week ago. The individual was admitted to a hospital in Vancouver on Friday with respiratory complications.
Preliminary tests suggest that the infection stems from the bird flu virus, with officials suspecting it to be the H5N1 strain, though confirmation is still pending. H5N1 has been reported to circulate extensively in the United States, affecting not just wild birds and poultry but also other animals like cows. So far this year, 46 cases of the virus have been diagnosed in people across the U.S., predominantly among farmworkers, who generally exhibited mild symptoms.
In a proactive measure, authorities in Canada have conducted tests on around three dozen individuals who were in close contact with the teenager. Dr. Henry stated that none of these tests have shown evidence of infection as of now.
Health officials are actively seeking to understand how the teenager contracted the virus, but Dr. Henry mentioned that it might prove impossible to identify the source of infection. The detected strains of the virus in British Columbia have primarily appeared in poultry, wild birds, and certain small animals, mostly during migratory seasons.
The case has been reported from the Fraser Valley region in southern British Columbia, adding to the ongoing health monitoring efforts surrounding bird flu outbreaks.
