Above: The first North American victim of the H5N1 Avian flu virus moved to Canada 10-years ago to pursue her dream of being a nurse. Francis Silvaggio has the story.
CALGARY – Alberta Health Services has confirmed a Canadian who died after contracting H5N1 (Avian flu) was a nurse in Red Deer, Alberta.
Health officials announced on Wednesday that an Albertan who was recently in China died after becoming ill with the virus, but didn’t release many details about the victim.
They say she had travelled to China in December, and flew from Beijing to Vancouver to Edmonton on December 27.
She was admitted to hospital on New Year’s Day, and died on January 3.
Officials released more details about the young victim on Friday, saying she was a registered nurse at the Red Deer Regional Hospital.
Her family has released a statement on behalf of the victim, remembering her as a driven and passionate woman.
Full statement from family of H5N1 victim:
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“Our beloved daughter and wife was a hard-working, independent young woman. She grew up in China, and in high school she decided that she wanted to become a nurse. The past 10 years have been dedicated to achieving this goal. She came to Canada on her own as a young student to study nursing at Red Deer College. She put herself through school, graduated and earned a job as a registered nurse at the Red Deer Regional Hospital. This was her dream; and she studied and worked extremely hard to achieve this.
“She wanted to help people. She also wanted a career that would allow her to provide for her family and to support those she loved. She did a tremendous amount for her family; she was successful and providing for those in her life. She was a uniquely independent and determined young woman.
“She married her husband a year and a half ago; and together they created a happy life in Red Deer. She worked hard and had saved for a vacation, which she took in December 2013 with her mother. Together, they travelled on a trip which would sadly turn out to be her last.
“She was an energetic woman, who her co-workers have described as the bright light in the room. She was driven, and passionate about her work and most of all her family.
“We are devastated by her death, and we request time to grieve in privacy. We thank you for respecting our wishes.”
Alberta Health Services says they are in regular contact with the victim’s family, who is fully cooperating with health authorities investigating the case.
The family has requested that officials not release the victim’s name to maintain patient confidentiality.
H5N1, commonly known as avian flu does not usually infect humans, targeting domestic poultry in parts of Asia and the Middle East instead. However, there were 38 human cases reported last year, resulting in 24 deaths.
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