A man in western British Columbia, Canada, has been diagnosed with H5 bird flu for the first time. The teenager in western British Columbia is believed to have contracted H5 avian flu from a bird or animal, the province said in a statement. The victim is being treated at a children’s hospital. The province said it is investigating the source of the teenager’s infection and tracing those who may have come into contact with him. Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland said in an X-A post that the risk to the public is low. Wild birds are being tested in Canada. This is Canada’s second case of H5N1 virus infection since a tourist returning from China died in 2014.
According to the World Health Organization or WHO, since 2003, 903 human cases of H5N1 virus have been identified in five countries. Of these, 464 were fatal.
1/ The Office of the Provincial Health Officer in British Columbia has reported a presumed human case of H5 avian influenza acquired in Canada.https://t.co/tinqvb5DB5
— Mark Holland (@markhollandlib) November 10, 2024
The US Department of Agriculture has infected nearly 450 dairy farms in 15 states since March 2024, and the CDC has identified 46 human cases of bird flu since April. British Columbia in Canada has identified at least 22 infected poultry farms since October and numerous wild birds have tested positive, the province said. No cases have been reported in dairy cattle in Canada and there is no evidence of bird flu in milk samples.