Canada reports first human case of H5 bird flu

A teenager in the Canadian province of British Columbia has tested positive for H5 bird flu, making it the first human case in the country, according to local officials. The source of the infection was not immediately clear.

The patient, a teenager from the Fraser Health region, is being treated at BC Children’s Hospital, according to a statement from the provincial government. Details about their symptoms or conditions were not immediately released.

“Our thoughts are with this young person and their family during this difficult time,” B.C. provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said. “This is a rare event, and while it is the first detected case of H5 in a person in B.C. or in Canada, there have been a small number of human cases in the U.S. and elsewhere, which is why we are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in B.C.”

Public health officials are following up with people who may have been in contact with the patient to assess for possible symptoms and testing, though no other cases were immediately identified. Officials said the source of the infection is “very likely” to be an animal or bird, though that has not yet been confirmed.

The infection likely involves H5N1 bird flu, which has spread around the world in recent years. The H5N1 virus has been found at numerous locations in B.C. in recent weeks, including at 22 poultry farms, a petting farm, in wild birds, and in small mammals such as foxes and skunks, according to CBC News.

LINK: A list of all human cases of H5N1 bird flu since 2021

A newer strain of H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b, has raised concern due to its global spread and the growing number of cases in mammals, including outbreaks among dairy cows in the U.S. A limited but growing number of human cases have been reported after contact with infected birds or cows.

63 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported so far this year, including 49 in the U.S., 10 in Cambodia and one each in Australia, Canada, China, and Vietnam. Only the U.S. cases – 21 in California, 14 in Washington, 10 in Colorado, 2 in Michigan and one each in Texas and Missouri – were caused by the newer variant, clade 2.3.4.4b.

In September, a patient in Missouri tested positive for H5N1 bird flu despite having no known links to infected animals. The patient was hospitalized but has since recovered. The source of the infection is still unknown but no other cases have been reported.