Canada: B.C. woman diagnosed with first H7N9 flu case in North America

A British Columbia resident has been diagnosed with the first case of H7N9 avian flu in North America, according to health authorities.

The individual, a Metro Vancouver woman who has not been identified, recently returned from China, where nearly 500 human infections with this strain of bird flu have occurred since 2013.

Health officials said the woman was not travelling in a high-risk area in China and did not show symptoms until Jan. 14, two days after she returned to Canada. She was not hospitalized and is now in self-isolation, officials said. How she contracted the virus is not known.

Her husbands, who was travelling with her, was also suspected of contracting the virus. He has since recovered.

Others who have had contact with the patient are being monitored for signs of avian flu, but none have fallen ill.

Officials said the couple was on a guided tour for part of their trip to China, but travelled on their own the rest of the time.

The H7N9 strain of avian flu can lead to symptoms of “severe respiratory illness, with about one-third resulting in death,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health experts say H7N9 poses a low risk to the public and is not easily transmittable.

Public Health Canada said there is no evidence to show that the disease can be transmitted person-to-person, and that so far in the investigation, “It seems that people are getting sick from close contact with infected birds.”