The BC Ministry of Health has reported serious news: a suspected first case of human infection with avian flu, more commonly known as bird flu, is supposed to have been confirmed. According to reports, health officials confirmed that a teenager from the Fraser Health region of B.C. tested positive for the H5 avian influenza virus and was being treated at BC Children’s Hospital.
This preliminary positive test was confirmed at BC Centre for Disease Control and further testing is under way at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to confirm. Until such a determination is made, provincial health officials are referring to it as a “presumptive case.”
British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, spoke out about the affected teenager and his family. She said that cases of human infection by the H5 virus are very few. “This is an unusual event,” Henry said, noting that there are only a handful of documented human cases of the virus worldwide, including in the U.S. Health experts are conducting an intensive investigation to find out the exact source of exposure, which should be related to an animal or a bird.
They are identifying and assessing close contacts of the infected person for symptoms and advising on the necessary precautions. They’re also coordinating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and other national partners to address an ongoing spike in B.C. poultry farms and among wild birds in H5N1 avian influenza cases since early October. Recent reports indicate that the virus has already been detected in at least 22 facilities for poultry, meaning some areas had to have populations of birds culled.
Health officials in B.C. say that people are advised to remain vigilant through vaccinations and seasonal flu vaccinations, keep pets away from dead or ailing animals, and report cases of dead or ill birds.
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