Canada reports first North American H5N1 flu case

January 09, 2014 at 07:42 AM

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(Bloomberg) — Canada reported the first case in North America of a form of bird flu that has killed hundreds of people over the past decade.

The individual had traveled to China in December. He went to the hospital Jan. 1 and died Jan. 3, Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne said in a statement.

No more cases are expected in Alberta because of the rare nature of the flu and the precautions taken by authorities, Horne said.

In 2013, there were 38 world-wide cases of H5N1 avian influenza reported to the World Health Organization, with 24 deaths reported, the Alberta government said.

The risk of human-to-human transmission of this influenza strain is very low, and Canadian authorities have notified their Chinese counterparts, Dr. Gregory Taylor, Canada's deputy chief public health officer, said in a televised press conference in Ottawa.

The individual had flown from Beijing to Edmonton, Alberta, with a stopover in Vancouver, Taylor said. Passengers on the planes are being notified to reassure them that the risk of transmission is very low, he said.

–Editors: Paul Badertscher, Jacqueline Thorpe

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