Canadian health officials confirmed Wednesday that a British Columbia teenager has contracted bird flu and said the virus is linked to an outbreak in poultry reported in the province.
Initial tests showed the teenager had been infected with bird flu, which was confirmed in subsequent tests, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.
The teenager had been hospitalized in Vancouver since Friday and was reported in serious condition on Tuesday.
It is unclear how the teenager became infected with the virus, which was recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the province, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s public health officer, said Tuesday. It is currently unknown whether the teenager had contact with infected animals, he said.
The teen was healthy before he developed symptoms — red eyes, cough and fever — more than a week ago, Henry said.
H5N1 avian influenza has spread widely in the United States among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. This year, 46 people in the United States – mostly farm workers – have tested positive with mostly mild symptoms.
In Canada, more than thirty people who had contact with the teenager were tested. No one showed symptoms of infection, Henry said.
Officials are trying to determine how the teen became infected, although Henry said they may never be able to determine that. In British Columbia, the virus has been detected in poultry, wild birds and some small animals. Bird flu has not been detected in dairy cows in the province.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
___
This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative artificial intelligence tool.