### Teenager in British Columbia Becomes Canada's First Bird Flu Case

A teenager from British Columbia has been identified as the first person in Canada to test positive for bird flu, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The provincial health department reported that the individual is currently undergoing treatment for the H5 avian flu at a children's hospital.

Authorities are investigating the source of the infection and any potential contacts. British Columbia Health Officer Bonnie Henry emphasized the rarity of the event, stating, "We are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in B.C."

While bird flu typically affects wild birds and poultry, recent instances have shown it can also infect mammals. This year, an outbreak of bird flu was observed among cattle across the United States. Human cases, although infrequent, can occur through close contact with infected animals or contaminated environments.

Scientific experts have expressed concern over the increasing number of mammals contracting bird flu, even though human cases are still uncommon. They warn that if the virus achieves a high transmission rate, it could potentially mutate, enabling human-to-human transmission.

In a related instance, officials reported that a person in Missouri became the first in the United States to test positive for bird flu in September without any known exposure to infected animals. Previously, all U.S. bird flu cases were among farmworkers, starting with the very first case in 2022.

Although there have been rare instances of bird flu infections in humans without a clearly identified animal source since H5 was first detected, there has been no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. Such a development would considerably escalate the threat posed by the virus.