Canada's First Human H5 Bird Flu Case: Teenager Hospitalized in BC

Nov 10, 2024, 02:47 AM

Health officials in British Columbia, Canada, have confirmed the first presumptive human case of H5 avian influenza, also known as bird flu, in the country. The patient, a teenager from the Fraser Valley region, has been hospitalized at BC Children's Hospital. The source of the infection remains unclear, with health officials investigating potential exposures to birds or animals. This marks the first instance of the H5 strain being detected in a person in Canada, prompting a call for genomic sequencing to understand the virus better.