A teenager in British Columbia is currently in critical condition at a childrens hospital after being diagnosed with Canadas first presumptive human case of avian influenza. The provincial health officer, Bonnie Henry, stated during a press conference on Tuesday (Nov 12) that the teenager had been healthy prior to contracting the virus, with no underlying health conditions. She emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that the illness progressed rapidly, causing significant deterioration in the teens health. Health officials in British Columbia confirmed the case on Saturday, identifying it as Canada’s first instance of H5 avian influenza in a human. While the exact strain is still being identified, health authorities suspect it is the H5N1 variant. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the risk of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 as low, the virus has been detected in a growing number of animal species, including cattle in the United States.

Henry refrained from revealing the teenager’s age or gender but shared that symptoms first appeared on November 2, with the teen being hospitalized on November 8 after testing positive for the virus. Symptoms included fever, coughing, and conjunctivitis. By the time of hospitalization, the teenager had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. The teen had no exposure to farms but had been in contact with dogs, cats, and reptiles. Public health officials are still investigating the source of the infection, and no specific source has been identified yet. Henry explained that severe illness typically occurs when the virus attaches to receptors deep within the lungs

In response, health officials have tested about three dozen people who may have come into contact with the teenager, but none have shown signs of infection. While there is currently no evidence of the virus being easily transmitted between humans, health experts have expressed concerns about the potential for a pandemic if human-to-human transmission were to occur.

The case comes amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in the U.S., where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged farm workers who have been exposed to infected animals to undergo testing, even if they are asymptomatic. Since March, nearly 450 dairy farms across 15 states have been impacted, with 46 human cases reported since April. In Canada, British Columbia has confirmed at least 26 affected premises, with several wild birds testing positive for the virus. However, there have been no reports of bird flu in dairy cattle or milk samples. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, noted that while H5N1 has historically caused critical and fatal illnesses, recent cases of this subtype have tended to be milder. He stressed that further testing is required to confirm whether this case involves H5N1 and to determine the specific subtype.

Disclaimer: This Image is taken from Reuters.