B.C. teen with avian flu discharged after weeks in hospital
B.C. Children’s Hospital has announced that a 13-year-old girl who was diagnosed with avian flu has been discharged from the hospital after spending several weeks under their care. The young patient was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit on November 8th with respiratory failure and pneumonia. A day later, health officials confirmed that she had tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian flu.
A recent medical journal publication detailed the teen’s hospitalization in Vancouver, which involved procedures such as tracheal intubation and the use of supplemental oxygen. The girl’s family released a statement expressing their gratitude for having their daughter back home and described the experience as “life-changing.”
The family has requested privacy as they focus on healing and rebuilding their lives following the traumatic incident. The teenager, who has a history of mild asthma and an elevated body mass index, is the first reported human case of H5N1 in Canada. Health officials are still investigating how she may have contracted the virus.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is currently conducting genetic comparisons between the local teenager’s avian flu case and that of a patient in Louisiana who recently succumbed to a severe case of the virus. Dr. Agatha Jassem, a clinical microbiologist at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory, explained that the goal is to understand the relationship between the viruses in the two cases and how they relate to bird populations.
Experts are monitoring the situation closely to assess the potential for human-to-human transmission, although there is currently no evidence of such spread in either case. Genetic mutations identified in the Canadian patient’s virus are being studied to determine their impact on viral replication in human airways.
The findings from these studies will provide valuable insights into the adaptability and transmissibility of the H5N1 virus between animals and humans. This information will be crucial in guiding public health measures to prevent the spread of avian flu and protect vulnerable populations.
