Canada Records its First Human Bird Flu Case

“Canada has confirmed its first human case of bird flu after a teenager tested positive for the virus, according to health authorities.

The teenager, from the western province of British Columbia, is believed to have caught the H5 avian flu from a bird or animal, said a statement by the province on Saturday. The infected person is undergoing treatment at a children’s hospital.

The province said it was tracing the teenager’s contacts to pinpoint the source of the contagion.

‘This is a rare event,’ British Columbia Health Officer Bonnie Henry said in a statement. ‘We are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in BC.’

Canada’s Health Minister Mark Holland assured members of the public that the risk to them remains low.”

Read more on ‘Rare event’: Canada records its first human bird flu case via AlJazeera.