B.C. teen who was first Canadian to get avian flu discharged after two months in hospital

The British Columbia teenager who tested positive for avian influenza, and who was the first human case acquired in Canada, was discharged on Tuesday after a two-month stay at the BC Children’s Hospital.The 13-year-old girl was admitted to hospital on Nov. 7 last year after arriving at the emergency department in respiratory distress with hemodynamic instability, a condition where the body is unable to maintain blood flow. She was transferred to a pediatric intensive-care unit for treatment, which included a temporary tracheal intubation and supplemental oxygen, until her condition improved. Two months to the day, she was able to return home.The family of the B.C. teen, in a statement provided by the BC Children’s Hospital on Thursday, asked for privacy as their daughter continues to heal and the family works to rebuild their lives after the traumatic ordeal. “This has been a life changing experience for our daughter and for our family, and we are grateful to have her home with us,” they said.