British Columbians are being urged to keep themselves and their pets away from any sick or dead birds, as the province investigates Canada’s first presumptive human case of avian influenza.
The patient, a teen from the Fraser Health region, remains in critical condition in B.C. Children’s Hospital, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
While health officials are conducting an investigation and extensive contact tracing, the source of the H5 influenza infection remains unclear.
That prompted a warning from Henry on Tuesday for people to stay well clear of dead or sick birds or droppings, which could be a vector of infection.
“Recognizing that this virus is circulating in wildfowl, so geese and ducks primarily, is to be sure that if you’re in contact with sick birds or dead birds, that you don’t touch them directly,” Henry said.
Officials are also warning people to take steps to ensure their pets don’t come in contact with infected birds as well, as the virus has been documented in other animals as well.
In the United States, the virus has been detected in some dairy cows, and the majority of the 46 human cases in the U.S. have been among people working in the dairy industry.
Henry said there was no evidence at this point that the B.C. patient had acquired the virus from an animal, but that people should still ensure their pets don’t come in contact with wild birds.
“We have had occasions and there was recently a dog, for example, in Ontario that became infected by eating a dead bird or biting a dead bird,” she said.
“And if the dog becomes infected, they can pass it on to humans as well.”
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that there has been no documented case of a human contracting highly pathogenic avian influenza from an infected pet. But it said cats and dogs that hunt or scavenge dead or infected birds could still be at risk.
Anyone who has been exposed to sick or dead birds of animals, or who works on a farm where avian influenza was detected, is urged to monitor for flu-like symptoms.
Henry said the initial symptoms to watch out for are conjunctivitis (pink eye), cough and fever.
While avian influenza spreads easily among birds, Henry said human cases remain rare and the evidence suggests this strain does not pass easily from person to person.
“We don’t see right now that there is a risk of a lot of people being sick,” she said.
Nevertheless, Henry urged people to stay up to date on all respiratory illness vaccinations and to stay home if they are feeling unwell.
Anyone who finds sick or dead wild birds is urged to contact the B.C. Wild Bird Mortality Line at 1-866-431-2473. Sick or dead poultry or livestock should be reported to the Canada Food Inspection Agency. Sick or dead wild mammals can be reported to the B.C. Wildlife Health Program at 1-250-751-7246.
If people have concerns about pets, they should contact their veterinarian or the B.C. Animal Health Centre at 1-800-661-9903.