The recent discovery of a human case of H5N1 bird flu in Canada is raising alarms over the possibility of a new pandemic. A teenager in British Columbia remains in critical condition with acute respiratory distress due to testing positive for the virus-which is a new strain in Canada. The teenager, whose identity and age have not been disclosed was reported that he had never been exposed to any health problems and was absolutely fit before the disease occurred, according to a report broadcasted on NBC's daily news show.
During the press briefing by Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer of British Columbia said that the teen had not been in direct contact with birds or livestock but had interacted with pets such as dogs, cats, and reptiles.The reason behind the illness has yet to be discovered.
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed that the patient is suffering from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has spread among birds and poultry and has infected mammals while occasionally infecting humans. This incident follows a larger outbreak in the United States, where 46 human infections have been reported this year across several states like California, Colorado, and Texas. Most of these cases involved direct exposure to infected animals, but health officials are closely monitoring how the virus spreads.
What is H5N1 Bird Flu? Bird flu or avian influenza primarily affects birds, but sometimes they also infect other animals and humans. H5N1 is just one of the subtyp.