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British Columbia: Discovery or case of human infection with avian influenza

British Columbia: Discovery or case of human infection with avian influenza

By م.زهير الشاعر

Published: November 10, 2024

The first presumed human case of avian influenza has been discovered in Canada, with a teenager in British Columbia testing positive for the virus. This announcement came from the British Columbia Ministry of Health, which confirmed that preliminary tests showed the teenager is infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Health mentioned that the positive test was conducted by the British Columbia Center for Disease Control, and samples were sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the regional health officer, clarified that this is a rare case, as only a few instances of human infections from avian influenza have been recorded in Canada and other countries, and they are typically caused by contact with infected birds.

Health authorities are currently conducting an investigation to determine the source of the teenager's exposure to the virus, and it is believed that the source may be an infected bird or animal. Meanwhile, potential contacts are being traced to mitigate any risks of virus spread.

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