A teenage boy is in critical condition after being diagnosed with bird flu, which is believed to be the first case of its kind in the country.
Bonnie Henry, the health officer of the province, said during a press briefing that the boy had no underlying medical conditions.
The case emphasizes the seriousness of the illness that young people can experience, and the rapid deterioration that I talked about occurred.
On Saturday, health officials in the province confirmed that bird flu had been detected in a teenager.
Although the exact strain was not identified, Henry noted that it most likely came from the H5N1 bird flu virus.
According to the WHO, the risk to humans from the virus is low because there is no proof that it can spread from one person to another. However, it has been found in various animals, such as cattle, in the US.
Although the teen’s gender was not disclosed, Henry noted that he or she had first experienced symptoms on November 2.
They were then admitted to a hospital on November 8. Their conditions worsened and they were being treated for respiratory distress.
Although the teenager had not been exposed to a farm, he or she had been exposed to various animals, such as cats and dogs.
Henry said that the virus could cause more severe illness if it binds to the inner lung’s receptors.
To date, public health officials have identified and tested around 30 to 40 contacts.
Despite the lack of evidence that the bird flu virus can spread easily between people, scientists believe that a pandemic could occur if it does.
In November, the CDC asked health officials to test people who had been exposed to infected birds even if they did not show any symptoms.
In the US, the bird flu virus has affected almost 450 dairy farms in 15 states since March. The CDC has also confirmed 46 cases of human infection since April.
In Canada, health officials in British Columbia reported that at least 26 premises were affected by the disease.