Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will provide an update Tuesday morning on the status of a B.C. teenager infected with H5N1 avian influenza and the investigation into the case. The press conference will take place at 11 a.m. PT.
On. Nov. 13, the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed that a teen in B.C. Children’s Hospital was infected with a human case of avian influenza — also known as bird flu — caused by influenza A(H5N1) virus in Canada.
This is the first domestically acquired human case of H5N1 avian influenza.
Few details about the teen’s condition have been released since then but at that time it was reported that the teen was in serious condition.
Human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) is rare and usually occurs after close contact with infected birds, other infected animals or highly contaminated environments.
This story will be updated with more information following the press conference on Tuesday.