A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be an object bird flua British Columbia health official said Tuesday.
It’s not clear how the teen contracted the virus, which was recently found in wild birds and poultry in the province, said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. The teen is not known to have had any contact with infected animals, she said.
Officials have released few details about the patient. Henry said the teen was healthy before developing symptoms more than a week ago — initially redness of the eyes, coughing and fever — and has been hospitalized in Vancouver since Friday with a respiratory illness.
Initial tests showed that the infection came from bird flu. Officials believe it is bird flu type A H5N1, but are waiting for confirmation. H5N1 has spread widely in the US among wild birds, poultry, cows and a number of other animals.
In Canada, tests were conducted on about three dozen people who had contact with the teenager. None of them have evidence of infection, Henry said.
Officials are trying to figure out how the teen became infected, though Henry said that may never be determined. In British Columbia, the virus has been found in poultry, wild birds and some small animals, usually when birds migrate through the area.
The Canadian case occurred in the Fraser Valley area of ​​southern British Columbia.
So far this year, at least 46 people in the U.S. — mostly farmworkers — have tested positive with mostly mild symptoms.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 of these patients were in California, 11 in Washington, 10 in Colorado, two in Michigan and one each in Missouri and Texas.
In all but one U.S. case, the source of the disease could be traced to cattle or poultry. The source in the only Missouri case was unknown, the CDC said.
