The first North American human case of H7N9 bird flu has been confirmed in B.C.

Canadian health officials announced Monday that a woman in her 50’s from the Lower Mainland has tested positive for avian influenza A(H7N9), the potentially deadly virus that has infected hundreds of people in China since first emerging in humans in March 2013.

Another family member, a man, who travelled with the Lower Mainland woman to China is believed to have been infected as well. They only developed symptoms after returning home to Canada earlier this month.

Both are recovering well and did not require hospitalization, federal health minister Rona Ambrose said during a hastily called press conference from Ottawa Monday.

Ambrose said the risk to Canadians is low, and that there is no evidence the virus transmits easily from person-to-person.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most known human infections with H7N9 resulted from exposure to infected live poultry, or contaminated environments, such as markets where poultry is sold and slaughtered.

Canada’s public health agency has notified China, WHO and other international agencies about the Canadian case, Ambrose said.

All potential contacts are being followed up, B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake said. “We are working closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure a robust and coordinated response,” Lake said.

Common symptoms included fever, cough and shortness of breath. In China, most of the infected developed severe pneumonia. There have been at least 175 confirmed deaths in China.

H7N9 influenza isn’t the same as seasonal flu that circulates every winter, stressed Dr. Gregory Taylor, Canada’s chief public health officer. H7N9 is an avian form of influenza that circulates among birds. However, this particular strain has never been found in wild or domestic birds in Canada, Taylor said.

It’s also not like H5N1 bird flu — the virus that last year infected and killed a young Alberta woman who had travelled to Beijing. H5N1 transmits more easily between birds, and between people, Taylor said.

The B.C woman with confirmed H7N9 became sick after returning to Canada on Jan. 12. Taylor said she had travelled to “various locations” in Canada. She began to feel sick on Jan. 14 and sought medical help but wasn’t sick enough to require hospitalization, Taylor said.

Officials said they’re confident the B.C. residents, who became sick within a day of each other, got sick from the same common exposure, rather than from transmitting the virus from one to the other.

Neither the man nor woman had symptoms while they were travelling. Officials said there is likely no risk to other travellers.

Both are in “self-isolation” at home. All close contacts have been identified and their health is being monitored. None of the identified contacts has developed flu-like illness. Given that, “it is extremely unlikely that we will see any additional cases here in B.C.,” said B.C. deputy provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

Henry said it’s not surprising that a single case of human H7N9 infection has been imported to Canada, given the virus been circulating in China since 2013.

B.C. health officials notified the federal public health agency on Jan. 23 of that it was dealing with a potential case. A sample was sent to Canada’s national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg on Sunday for testing. The lab confirmed the diagnosis Monday morning.

“All evidence is indicating that it is likely the individual was infected following exposure in China,” Taylor told reporters.

The woman and her male companion were visiting China as tourists. They didn’t visit poultry farms. “They did some touring of areas and villages in China where poultry are seen throughout the village but there was not a particularly high-risk exposure that we were able to identify,” Henry said.

Taylor said Canadians travelling to China should avoid high-risk areas, such as poultry farms and live animal markets, and ensure all poultry dishes, including eggs, are well cooked.

Anyone who has travelled to an infected area and becomes ill should seek medical attention, Henry said. “But call in advance, and let them know of your travel or exposure information so proper precautions can be taken.”

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