Investigation continues but source of B.C. teen’s avian flu diagnosis may never be discovered, says health official

A British Columbia teenager was presumed to have pneumonia when they were admitted to hospital late last week, but after a series of tests the teen was found to have contracted a highly pathogenic version of avian influenza known as clade 2.3.4.4b. The teen remains in critical condition and is the first known human case of the potentially lethal virus in Canada.Determining the source of the unusual infection has required investigative work by a small army of health and veterinary professionals. This group retraced the teen’s every step in the 10 days before the onset of their symptoms, interviewing any person they had come into contact with, visiting the places they had been and collecting samples from pets and other animals in the area.