British Columbia detects first presumptive human H5 bird flu case in Canada

The West Coast Canadian province of British Columbia said on Saturday that it had detected the first presumptive positive case of H5 bird flu virus infection acquired by a human in Canada.

The individual presumed to be infected is a teenager who is receiving care at a children’s hospital, the province said in a statement.

While the province had not yet detected any other infections and the source of exposure was “very likely” to be an animal or bird, it said that an investigation had been initiated to determine the source of exposure and identify any contacts, “This is a rare event, and while it is the first detected case of H5 in a person in B.C. or in Canada, there have been a small number of human cases in the US and elsewhere, which is why we are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in B.C.,” the province’s top doctor Bonnie Henry said in the statement.