Canadian Teen in Critical Condition with First Human Bird Flu Case

A teenager in British Columbia is critically ill with Canada's first presumptive human case of avian influenza, suspected to be H5N1. The teen, previously healthy, developed symptoms including conjunctivitis, fever, and coughing, and is now hospitalized with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Health officials are investigating the source of infection, as the teen had no farm exposure but had contact with pets. The World Health Organization considers the risk of H5N1 to humans low, but the virus has been increasingly found in animals.