Canada

Teenager from Fraser Valley region in hospital as sample sent to lab for confirmation

British Columbia health officials are investigating what's believed to be Canada's first human case of avian influenza after a teenager tested presumptively positive for the disease, the Ministry of Health announced Saturday.

The teenager, who the ministry says is from the Fraser Health region, is currently receiving care at B.C. Children's Hospital, while officials work to confirm the diagnosis and trace potential sources of exposure.

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B.C.'s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, says the case marks the first time H5 avian influenza has been detected in a person in Canada, although there have been isolated cases reported in the U.S. and other countries.